Boys vs Girls
by ny-in-love
Summary: Danny, Flack and Hawkes meet their matches in the women of the NYPD. Definitely DL, with new characters for Flack and Hawkes.
1. The One With the New Partner

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the show.

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The incessant ringing of his alarm clock jolted Don Flack Jr. from the wonderful world of sleep. Blearily, he reached out and slammed his hand down on the offending object and rolled over to the bright ray of sunlight that streamed through his apartment window. He turned his head to check the date on his alarm clock. _November 6._ _Something's happening today. Oh, yeah. We got a new guy coming in. Goody._

Sighing, Flack resigned himself to the fact that he had to get up and untangled himself from his sheets. He padded barefoot down the hall of his apartment to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee and mentally ran through the all the details he knew about his soon-to-be partner. Just yesterday, the chief stopped by his desk to tell him that he was getting a new partner. _What's his name again? _Rifling through all the names in his head, he tried to recall the name the chief had mentioned. _J. It started with a J. Jason? No. John. Too common. He remembered only that the name started with a J and was pretty unique. Aha! Jordan. Jordan Addison, from Los Angeles._ Yep, that pretty much summed up all the details that Flack knew about his new partner. _Hope he's a cool guy. Stakeouts are no fun if your partner's a killjoy._

Gulping down the rest of his coffee, Flack grabbed a shirt and pants from his closet and took a quick shower. Twenty minutes later, he was in his car on the way to the station.

* * *

Flack's phone rang just as he reached his desk. "Flack," he answered. He listened in silence to the caller and grabbed his memo pad to write down the details of the call. "All right, I'm on my way. Just let me grab my stuff and I'll meet you there." 

Just then, Chief Roberts entered the station with a slightly built woman, about 5'6". She had light brown hair that fell straight to her shoulders and wide green eyes. She was dressed simply, in tan-colored slacks and a blue sweater. _Wow, she's cute. Wonder who she is?_ Flack thought to himself as he watched Chief Roberts wind his way through the mess of desks in the station room. It didn't register yet that the Chief seemed to be heading towards his table.

With a start, Flack realized that Chief Roberts was standing in front of his desk. As he looked up, Chief Roberts said in his deep voice, "Morning, Flack. You ready to meet your new partner?"

Flack grinned and greeted the Chief. "All right, Chief. Where's the new guy?"

Chief Roberts stepped aside and motioned the person behind him to come closer to Flack's desk. "Don Flack, this is Jordan Addison. Jordan, meet your new partner, Don Flack Jr."

Flack's blue eyes moved from the Chief's twinkling eyes to the person beside him. He continued to grin like an idiot and waited for his new partner to emerge. Then with a start, he realized that Chief Roberts had introduced the cutie he noticed earlier as his new partner. _Holy shit._ "You're Jordan?"

The woman stepped closer and held out her hand for Flack to shake. "Jordan Addison, formerly LAPD. NYPD now, I guess," with a brief smile.

The idea that Jordan Addison was a woman took a while longer to sink in Flack's brain. _No wait,_ he mentally corrected himself,_ not only is she a woman, she's a hell of a looker too. Damn, this might get sticky. _Mentally rousing himself from his daze, he extended his own hand to take hers in a firm handshake. "Good to meet you, Jordan. Sorry for spacing out. I was just a bit surprised."

Jordan laughed, "You surprised that I'm a girl?"

Flack laughed in response, "Well, your name _is_ Jordan."

Her eyes twinkled, "Don't worry, I get that a lot. I don't mind."

Flack replied, "Well, you got here just in time. I just got a call about a DB in a Manhattan loft and we need to roll. Chief, if you'll excuse us, we gotta go earn our salaries."

Chief Roberts answered, "Go on ahead. Flack, go easy on her, it's her first day."

Jordan waved a good-bye to the Chief and said, "Don't worry about me. I can handle it."

Flack held the door open for her, "Let's go partner. We'll call the lab dudes on the way to the scene."

As they strode down to the garage, Flack fished his phone out of his pocket and hit a number on his speed dial. "Mac, DB in Manhattan, we need two of your guys there." He paused while listening to Mac's response. "Alright, I'll meet Danny and Lindsay on the scene." By now, he and Jordan had reached his parked car. In a few more seconds, they were on the road and on the way to the crime scene. Fortunately, traffic wasn't bad and they got there in less than twenty minutes.

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_Okay. So that was my first fan-fic. Hope you guys like it. Please write reviews so that I can make it better.  Thanks!_


	2. The One With the Roommates

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the show.

Thanks for the first set of reviews. Let me know what you guys think of this one. :D

* * *

The elevator took them straight to the penthouse, where on-scene officers had already closed of the area with police tape. Flack held up the yellow tape and motioned to Jordan to go ahead and pulled his tall frame under the tape to follow her. 

As he entered the bedroom, he looked around the bedroom. According to the officer who greeted him and Jordan at the door, the victim's name was Shauna Peterson, a 25-year-old preschool teacher. Flack looked around the spacious apartment that was decorated in tones of green and blue. How a preschool teacher managed to afford such a beautiful living space like this in Manhattan was just beyond him. Oh, well. There was time to figure it out later. In the meantime, he set about getting the details.

Two minutes later, he heard footsteps behind him. Jordan placed her hand lightly on his arm and gestured towards the victim. "All right, Don. What do we know about our vic?"

Flack was startled at her use of his first name. No one at work called him Don. Only family called him Don. On the heels of that realization came another one that was much more unexpected: he didn't really mind it if she called him Don. In fact, he liked the sound of his name on her lips.

For the second time that morning, Flack had to mentally shake himself to focus on the task at hand. "Victim is a preschool teacher, a Shauna Peterson. Caucasian female, 25 years old. Did you find out who reported the DB?"

Before Jordan could reply, Danny Messer entered the bedroom and set his kit down on the floor. As he pulled his latex gloves on, Danny gestured to Jordan with a mischievous grin, "Hey, Flack, I didn't know we were allowed to bring dates to crime scenes? Who's your girlfriend?"

Flack shot his friend a glare. "Funny, Messer. This is my new partner, Jordan Addison. She's from L.A. Jordan, this is Danny Messer, the CSI for this case."

As Jordan and Danny shook hands, Danny said, "What is it with the NYPD and imports? What, we can't find good cops in New York anymore?" He motioned to Flack, "You know what Mac told us this morning? We're getting a new lab tech. Apparently, Adam finally begged Mac to get another person in the lab. He got pissed cause we bogged him down with the 120 samples that we had him test on our last case. Dammit, Flack, New York's being invaded."

But Jordan had more than enough sass in her to respond to Danny's teasing remark with a bright retort of her own. "Threatened, Messer?"

Danny recognized a worthy opponent when he saw one and at her reply, he conceded that Jordan Addison would make life in the NYPD more interesting. He held up his hands in mock surrender and said, "Whoa! You got yourself a live one here, Flack. Bet you anything, she'll drive you nuts in a week."

Flack gallantly rescued his partner with his own jibe about partners. "Can it, Messer. Don't do your Lindsay thing on my partner. Go pick on yours. Hey, by the way, speaking of partners, where's yours? Don't tell me you left her back in the lab."

Before Danny could reply, Lindsay Monroe entered the room and answered for him. "Cool it, Flack. I was just outside taking a look at the door. She knew the attacker. No sign of forced entry."

Danny chuckled. "Leave it to Montana to get down straight to business."

By this time, Lindsay had been around both men long enough to hold her own against their teasing and she responded good-naturedly, "Well, someone should. You two ladies seem to be busy over here. It's a good thing Mac didn't send Hawkes or you wouldn't get any work done."

At that moment, Lindsay caught sight of the young woman who came with Flack. _She looks familiar._ Her brow furrowed as she tried to figure out why she recognized the young woman with Flack. After a few seconds, her eyes lit up. "Jordan! Jordan Addison!"

Upon hearing her name, Jordan turned around towards the voice. Just like Lindsay's, her green eyes brightened at the sight of a familiar face. "Lindsay! It's been so long!"

As the two young women hugged each other, Flack and Danny looked at each other in consternation and surprise. Danny was the first to find his voice. "You two know each other, Montana?"

Jordan immediately took notice of the nickname and answered for Lindsay. "You can probably call us both that, since we're both from Montana."

Lindsay added, "She was my college roommate in Montana, but she left immediately for L.A. after graduation and we weren't able to keep in touch."

Flack was finally able to understand. "So I guess the NYPD has two Montanas now."

Danny cut in, "Nope. Get it straight, Flack. There's only one Montana and that's Lindsay." Startled at the seriousness in his tone, Lindsay looked at Danny and for one long moment, their eyes met and held. Lindsay soon broke away from Danny's unwavering gaze and took a deep breath, "I'm going to start processing." After one more deep breath, she was able to form a smile and turned to Jordan. "Hey, you wanna come out for a drink after shift?"

Jordan hesitated and bit her lip. She glanced at Flack.

No one ever said Don Flack was born stupid and he recognized an opportunity when he saw one. For some unexplained reason, he found himself wanting to spend more time with his new partner and he seconded Lindsay's invitation enthusiastically. "C'mon, Jordan. It will be a great way for you to meet the rest of the gang. There are more people from the lab that you should meet anyways."

Danny, wanting to lighten the mood he unintentionally ruined earlier, chimed in with his persuasive version of the invitation. "Addison, you better come with us. Otherwise, we'll lock you in here with the dead body."

At that jibe, Jordan broke into a small laugh and agreed. "All right, since you guys ganged up on me." She looked up at her much taller partner and asked, "Don, is it okay if I hitch a ride with you?"

Flack smiled and s€aid, "Sure, what are partners for?" Addressing Danny and Lindsay, he said, "We'll meet you guys at Sullivan's after shift. Don't forget to bring Mac, Stella and Hawkes."

Lindsay answered, "Sure, Flack. We'll see you then. Jordan, it was great to see you again. But right now, we got a date with a dead body." She gave Jordan another hug, grabbed her kit and walked towards the bedroom.

Danny waved his goodbye to the two detectives and followed his partner. Jordan and Flack also turned away to question the other officers who arrived on the scene.

* * *

As soon as they were out of earshot of the two detectives, Danny immediately turned to his partner and asked, "Did you hear that?" 

Lindsay steeled herself before turning around to answer Danny's question. Lately, it had become harder and harder for her to work with Danny. It was becoming next to impossible for her to ignore the way she felt about him when she was with him constantly. Not that he made it hard for her. After their ill-fated conversation after the ice princess case, Danny had honored her need for space and although he still couldn't help himself when it came to teasing her, he made no more advances to take their friendship to the next level. Until that morning.

Lindsay was torn. Half of her did not appreciate the fact that she and Danny would once again be working in close quarters. Being together on a case meant that they interviewed suspects and followed leads together. It meant that she would work with him in the confines of the lab, where inadvertently, they would bump into each other and she would fight the impulse to collapse in his arms and let him love her. _Love_, she chided herself._ Danny never said anything about love. You're just the moronic ninny who had to go and fall in love with him. Damn._

But as in all the previous occasions when she would remind herself why it was a bad idea to start a relationship with Danny, there was also another voice in her head, one that got stronger and louder by the day. Today, in response to her morose thoughts, the voice insisted, _Don't kid yourself, Monroe. You know not being with him hurts you. You can barely stand it when you're both in the lab together and you don't know what he's working on. You know you're dying to have a chance to work with him again. _But Lindsay chose to ignore that voice and focused on the one that told her that being with Danny was a bad idea.

Danny looked quizzically at his partner. "Montana, you in there?" he called out again. "Hello?" He touched her arm gently. "Linds, you okay?" At that, Lindsay shook herself out of her unintentional reverie. _Linds. He never calls me Linds unless he's serious.__He's worried because I spaced out. _ She looked at Danny and saw the unspoken concern in his eyes, in the tone of his voice as he called her by her given name.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry. What were you asking again?" Lindsay replied.

"I asked you if you heard that," Danny repeated, tilting his head towards the door.

"Heard what?"

"She called him Don."

Lindsay was confused. "What?"

"Jordan." Danny explained. "She called Flack Don."

"Yeah, I was a bit surprised too." Lindsay answered. She thought back to the earlier conversation and saw Danny still looking at her, waiting patiently for her to follow his train of thought. And then suddenly it hit her. _Flack didn't mind that she called him Don._ Lindsay looked at Danny, who was nodding. Apparently, he saw that she finally got it. At that, they both looked speculatively at each other and spoke at the same time.

"You think they ---?"

Danny and Lindsay smiled at each other and even though neither said it, they were both thinking the same thing. _Flack and Jordan. How about that?_

Without saying a word, both of them turned back towards the crime scene and continued processing, but not before flashing each other one last conspiratorial smile.

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You know what to do here! Reviews will be highly appreciated. 


	3. The One With the Diner

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the show.

Thanks for the first set of reviews. I hope to hear from you again after this chapter. :D

* * *

Unknown to the CSIs in the bedroom, the two detectives were having a hush-hush conversation of their own. The ride down to the crime scene that morning had accomplished a lot towards making the two new partners more at ease with each other. Both Jordan and Flack were actually surprised that they hit it off so easily, that they meshed well, despite the fact that they only met that morning.

By the time they made their way back to the station, Jordan was comfortable enough with Flack to ask him the question that had been bugging her about the exchange between the four detectives.

"Don?"

Flack looked away from the road to glance at Jordan. All of a sudden, he realized again how attractive she was. _That is one pretty partner I've got._ "Yeah?"

"Is there something going on between Danny and Lindsay?"

Flack turned towards her, surprise evident in his eyes. "Wow, you're good. Although, not really. Anyone who spent more than ten seconds in one room with the two of them will know that there's something going on between them."

"So what is it then?"

"Why so worried, Jordan?"

"Well…" she hedged, trying to find words to explain. "Lindsay and I knew each other for a long time. I mean, we've been out of touch for so long, but we were pretty close in college and I kinda know her really well." Her voice trailed off as she tried to articulate what she saw in both Danny and Lindsay's eyes at that moment. "She looked.. I don't know, cornered, I suppose, like she was caught between a rock and a hard place. Danny didn't look any better. I don't know, I don't know him really well, but I felt this… vibe. He looked… " she stopped, trying to find words to describe the emotion in the young detective's eyes. "Helpless," she ended, with a sigh.

Flack sighed, both impressed and pained by Jordan's intuitiveness. It was no secret in the lab that Danny Messer and Lindsay Monroe had a thing. At first, the guys, especially Flack, found it amusing that Danny Messer, the NYPD Crime Lab's resident playboy had been brought to his knees by a sassy investigator from Montana.

For the most part, they enjoyed the playful banter that the two shared. But the people in crime lab were more than colleagues, they were friends. Stella and Flack personally witnessed Danny's personal agony when Lindsay went undercover. They had seen the raw panic he tried to rein in as they listened in the van to the events as they happened. They felt his urgency as he rushed from the van to the building where Lindsay was in danger. They personally witnessed the emotions that flowed through the two CSIs as they held each other in the midst of the rubble of the blast. After that, it was a foregone conclusion in their heads that Danny and Lindsay did not have _a_ thing. They had _the_ thing.

After that incident, the situation had been doubly tense between Danny and Lindsay. They still worked well together and they joked around every once in a while, but those who were closest to them, the people they treated like family: Stella, Hawkes, Flack and even Mac, noticed that the two were fighting a losing a battle against their feelings. Danny had given in. In a moment of weakness, Danny told Flack all about that confusing conversation he had with Lindsay. Given that there were no secrets at the lab, especially between Mac Taylor's team, Stella, Hawkes and Mac soon found out why Danny and Lindsay were having such a hard time.

Since then, the rest of the team took to referring to it as "the conversation." They concluded that Danny was a goner. Lindsay gave in only in the sense that she finally acknowledged that she and Danny felt something to each other. But she was stubbornly clinging to the idea that a relationship between her and Danny Messer was not going to work out. That meant Danny had a long, hard battle to fight for his Montana's heart.

Jordan gazed at Flack as he indulged himself in a moment of contemplative silence. She guessed that he was finding a way to answer her question without seeming like he was dishing out office gossip. For the first time since that morning, she was given an opportunity to _see_ him, really look at him. This morning, at the station, she was too overwhelmed to assess Flack. Now, as he remained silent, Jordan mentally catalogued what she knew about Don Flack Jr.

Flack had short black hair cropped close to his head. Neatly trimmed, which gave him a fresh look that she appreciated. If you were going to be seen around New York, it wasn't a bad thing to be seen with a tall, good-looking police officer. He also had blue eyes that Jordan could only describe with the word brilliant, both literally and figuratively. Not only were they a startling shade of blue, they also shone with an intelligence and grit that she was rapidly beginning to admire.

Next, she looked at his hands, which were wrapped loosely around the steering wheel. Jordan had always been fascinated with hands. She had long acknowledged that she had a rare fetish for men with nice hands.

Don Flack definitely had nice hands.

He had long, strong fingers and his nails were neat without the help of a regular manicure. They were good hands. They were a man's hands.

With a start, Jordan realized that she was sizing up her partner as though he was a potential date. _Not good, Jordan, _she mentally berated herself. _It's bad enough that you managed to get a partner who's gorgeous and hits all the right notes with you._ She took a steadying breath and forced her mind back to their discussion. At this point, Flack still hadn't replied to her query.

"Don?" she prompted him.

Flack glanced at her again, narrowed his eyes as though coming to a decision, and then sighed in defeat. _Well, if she's going to be part of the team, then she might as well know what's going on, _he reasoned. _Besides, she already knows Lindsay well enough, so it's not like I'm telling a complete stranger all about her love life. Whatever there is of it._

"Alright, Addison. I'll tell you the story. But it's getting late in the day and I haven't had anything to eat. Since there's nothing to rush, why don't we grab a bite?"

Acknowledging that her stomach had started rumbling a few minutes earlier, Jordan agreed to have lunch with Flack. He steered the car to a small diner near the station. Apparently, he was a regular there, since people behind the counter started waving.

"Hey, Flack! Who's the pretty lady?" Bernie, the cook, called from behind the kitchen screen. "New girlfriend?"

Flack cast an embarrassed glance at Jordan and replied, "No, Bern. This is my new partner, Jordan Addison. Jordan, can you do me a favor and wave hi to the big dude behind the screen? That's Bernie and he's the cook here so it always helps to be on his good side."

Jordan let out a small laugh and dutifully waved, calling out a hi to the jolly man who greeted Flack. He led her to a booth in the back, where a waitress promptly came to take their orders.

"What can I get you for today, Flack?" Annette asked, snapping her gum.

"Double cheeseburger with extra fries and a large coke," Flack responded.

Annette smirked, "My, aren't we hungry today." She turned to Jordan and asked, "And what can I get you/"

Jordan thought for a moment. _What the hell. _"I'll have what he's having. Thanks," she answered and smiled at Annette as she walked away.

Flack gaped at her. "You're going to eat all that?"

Jordan imitated his gaping face and surprised tone, "_You're _going to eat all of that?"

Flack recovered clumsily. "Well, it just seems to be a pretty large order, for…" he paused, hesitating. His mama didn't raise any dumb ones.

Jordan smiled at him. "I could just change my order to a salad to make you feel better." She looked at him steadily for a moment and then burst out laughing. "What? I get hungry if I don't eat a lot."

Flack joined in her laughter. "Alright, Addison. No more jokes about your humungous appetite. If you get mad, you might chop me up just so you can have enough food for dinner."

Jordan retorted good-naturedly, "Don, just cause I'm a girl doesn't mean I eat like a rabbit. Now, if I remember correctly, you owe me a story."

Flack sobered up as he began, "Okay, see, Jordan, here's the thing. About a year and a half ago, one of the CSIs left the lab for personal reasons. She was really good friends with Danny and before you get suspicious, they were really just friends. We were really close, actually, me, Danny and Aiden."

He glanced at her to gauge her reaction and she nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"Soon after that, the team found out that we were getting a new CSI, fresh from Montana. On principle, Danny decided that no one was taking Aiden's place and that he would make life as hard for this new CSI as possible."

Flack chuckled as he continued. "On Lindsay's first day, we had a case at the zoo. She met Danny and Mac at the tiger cage. Danny advised her to call Mac, "sir". And the thing is Mac _hates_ being called sir. At the lab, he got in her way as much as he could. For a while, it wasn't a pretty situation. They kept bickering with each other, especially since Danny kept calling her Montana."

As they ate, he told her a little bit more about how Danny and Lindsay's relationship changed. He told her about the undercover incident and about "the conversation". When he got to that part, Jordan visibly winced, in silent sympathy with Danny. _Although I sympathize a little with Lindsay, too. I wonder what made her push Danny away?_

Before they knew it, an hour had passed and they needed to go back to the station to follow up on their leads. Three hours and a meal after meeting each other, Don Flack Jr. and Jordan Addison had laid down the foundations for a solid friendship and partnership.

They both rode back to the station in silent thought. Finally, Jordan broke the silence and said, "I know Lindsay well enough to see that something big made her push Danny away. She'll come around eventually. It's just a question of whether Danny's willing to wait."

At this, Flack felt the need to defend the man he considered his best friend. "Believe me, Danny's willing to wait. I've known Danny for a while and he's never been like this with any woman, ever."

Jordan grinned at Flack and suggested, "Well, they might need a little help."

Wondering what she meant, Flack looked at Jordan and caught the twinkle in her eye. Then he smiled because he finally figured out what she was thinking. In the short span of time that they had known each other, Flack knew enough about Jordan to know that she was a good woman, much like Lindsay and Stella Bonasera. And Flack also knew that there was nothing a good woman liked more than meddling in other people's affairs. Whether Danny or Lindsay knew it or not, their so-called relationship would soon get a jumpstart.

He flashed a smile of his own and said, "Sure, partner."

* * *

What do you think? Reviews are awaited with bated breath. :D Thanks to all those who read the story. Let me know how I can make it better for you okay:D 


	4. The One With All the Arguments

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the show.

I'm glad you guys liked the first three chapters. This is a LONG chapter. I wasn't expecting it to be. :D Hawkes meets his girl in this one, and Danny hatches a plan to get Lindsay. Hope you guys like it. :D

* * *

It was not a good day for the CSIs of the NYPD Crime Lab.

It started off with Hawkes. Early in his shift, he helped himself to a cup of coffee in the break room while going through the files of an ongoing investigation. A few minutes later, his flow of thought was interrupted by a sharp beeping sound. Muttering case details to himself, he reached for his phone and flipped it open. The message came from an unknown number. _We have your trace results._ Hawkes assumed that the number belonged to the new lab tech.

He grabbed his steaming mug and his file folder. He had been at the lab long enough to walk to its different parts without looking where he was going. Because of this, he felt free to make his way to the trace lab while reading his file.

By the time he reached the trace lab, Hawkes was so deeply engrossed in the files he was reading that he didn't notice a small figure moving towards him at warp speed.

_Boom!_

The collision of two human bodies in a trace lab is never good. Given the fact that there were so many sensitive items that were scattered around, people were generally careful when moving around it. Fortunately, the only casualty of that morning's collision was the steaming mug of coffee clutched in Sheldon Hawkes' hand.

Scratch that. The only casualty was Hawkes himself, who yelped in pain when the hot liquid splashed itself on him. Focused only on the fact that he was drenched in the hot and sticky substance, Hawkes swore and swiped at himself. "Damn! Why don't people ever watch where they're going?"

Instead of being apologetic, the person he bumped into took offense at Hawkes' irritated tone and responded with a scathing remark of her own. "Well, if _you_ watched where _you_ were going instead of having your goddamned nose buried in a folder, you might notice when people are coming near you and you can move away?"

Hawkes looked up from his attempts to hold his coffee-soaked shirt to see where the voice was coming from. His eyes settled on a small woman, whose curls were held in a loose twist behind her head. Her brown eyes flashed in indignation and she had her hands on her hips, a sure sign that a woman was well and thoroughly pissed.

Normally, Sheldon Hawkes was a mild-mannered man. But something in this woman's tone and manner set him off in a way no one, man or woman had ever done. For the first time in his life, a temper flared inside Hawkes, causing him to respond more harshly that he would have under other circumstances. "Hey! I have been moving around this lab for months and I have never, _never_ bumped into anybody…"

And that's where it started. Soon enough, voices were raised high enough to draw attention from the people who passed. Hawkes was gesticulating angrily with the folder in his hand and the woman was jabbing her index finger in his chest to emphasize her point. Phrases filtered through the glass of the trace lab onto the hallway as their voices started getting louder and louder.

"You should know better than to walk around a trace lab blinded by a folder," the woman raged.

"You do not yell at people when you spill steaming coffee onto them," Hawkes retorted furiously.

Soon, a crowd had gathered in the trace lab. Stella, Danny, and Lindsay watched at the ongoing argument with their mouths hanging open, identical expressions of disbelief on their faces. Never had they ever seen Hawkes like this. Among the members of the team, he was usually the cool, calm, level-headed one. He had never lost his cool like this and the Hawkes they knew would never take his temper out on a woman.

But based on the noise coming from the trace lab, the woman in question seemed to be holding her own against Hawkes. Despite the fact that she barely came up to Hawkes' shoulder, she was giving back as good as she got, meeting his fury with her own and more.

Suddenly, people became aware of the ominous sound of the footsteps of the king of the NYPD Crime Lab. Mac Taylor, drawn by the sound of the raised voices and the throng of people clustered around the Trace Lab, made his way to the front of the crowd.

"What's going on?" Mac demanded.

Stella sensed that Mac was irritated by the spectacle caused by what was going on in the Trace Lab, she tried to come up with an answer that would not drive Mac crazy. However, at the moment, she could not come up with a good explanation as to why Sheldon Hawkes was yelling at the tiny figure in the lab coat and why she was yelling back.

"Mac!" Stella exclaimed. "Um. See, here's the thing..." Stella stammered, searching for words to explain the scene unfolding in front of them. "Hawkes is… irritated?" she replied with a crooked shrug.

Sighing impatiently, Mac pushed the doors of the Trace Lab open.

For a moment, neither of the two noticed that their boss was standing there watching them argue. Finally, Mac got fed up, pushed two fingers in his mouth and let out an ear-piercing whistle that cause Hawkes and the girl to stop arguing and stare at him in surprise. They looked around and realized that the clear glass doors showed the rest of the inhabitants of the crime lab and that they had been watched for some time.

Mac also realized at the same time that his crime lab was not running since practically all of his employees were staring goggle-eyed at the events that transpired in the Trace Lab. So he went outside and said, "Show's over, folks. I want all of you to go back to whatever it was you were doing."

With that, the crowd dissipated and headed to their respective work stations. There would be more than enough time to discuss what happened between Hawkes and the new girl.

Mac crossed his arms and said, "Alright, who wants to explain what happened here?"

At that, both Hawkes and the girl started to plead their case at the same time.

"Mac, she bumped into me and I spilled coffee on myself…"

"He was walking around and _he_ bumped into _me_! He was walking around blind in the _freaking Trace Lab!_"

Mac held out his hands to stem the flow of words from each person. "Alright. Let's just get down to the important details. Cassie, was anything damaged in the Trace Lab?"

The girl expelled her breath in a whoosh and replied, "No, Mac. Everything's fine."

Mac then turned to Hawkes and asked, "Hawkes, what was it that you were supposed to be doing?"

Hawkes then closed his eyes and tried to remember, "I was getting my results."

Mac looked at both of them sternly, not much different from a father whose children had argued over a toy. "Now, whatever it is that happened here, I'm sure no one meant anything by it, right?" Hawkes and Cassie nodded. "May I ask you both to be reasonable adults who can work past this?" More nods. "Now, apologize to each other and let's get on with our day."

For some reason, two intelligent adults were acting like petulant children. Neither one wanted to be the first to apologize, so they chose another alternative: they glared at each other.

Mac let out another sigh. "Do you two even know each other's names?"

Neither answered. Both just kept up their glaring contest until Mac gave up and introduced them.

"Cassie Simmons, Trace Lab. Sheldon Hawkes, CSI. Now you both know each other and let me remind you that while you are both working in my lab, I expect both of you to behave like adults. This is a warning. We do important work here and I do not need my people bickering like six-year-olds. Now shake hands and get on with your day."

When neither Cassie nor Hawkes budged, Mac adopted his most threatening stance and said in his deep voice, "I said, shake!"

Hawkes and Cassie both jumped and stuck out their hands to shake.

Mac's face dissolved into a brief smile. "Good. Now remember what I said about acting like adults. Cassie, give Hawkes his results and Hawkes, don't forget to thank Cassie afterwards."

Both nodded sullenly and did as they were directed, but not without a final glare to the other. Mac shook his head and went back to his office.

Inside the Trace Lab, Cassie grabbed a folder and held it out to Hawkes with fire shooting out from her eyes. Hawkes responded with a glare of his own and took the folder with a muttered, "Thanks." Cassie bared her lips in a fake smile and said in a syrupy sweet voice that told Hawkes this wasn't over, "You're welcome, Detective."

Hawkes stared daggers at the young lady in front of him. Then he took a deep breath, turned on his heel and walked out of the Trace Lab.

* * *

At lunchtime, Stella and Lindsay caught up with Hawkes in the break room while he was finishing his sandwich. Both women sat at his table and looked at him expectantly. Hawkes, for his part, continued munching away at his sandwich, seemingly oblivious to the two women who were waiting for his explanation.

Stella was the first to become impatient and burst out. "Okay, out with it Hawkes."

Hawkes arched his eyebrow at her and continued chewing. "Out with what?" he asked after washing down his sandwich with juice.

"Argh. What happened with you and the new girl?" Lindsay demanded.

"What do you mean what happened?"

Stella let out a frustrated sigh and tried to explain. "Hawkes. We've worked with you for years and we have never seen you get mad about anything ever. But this morning, a girl bumps into you and spills her coffee and you blow up and yell at her??"

Hawkes was getting defensive. "Hey, she yelled at me first."

Lindsay chimed in, "Even so, did you _have_ to yell back?"

Hawkes let out a frustrated sigh of his own. It was hell getting these two off your back when they were insisting that something was happening even though there really was nothing. "Guys, it's nothing. We both just lost our temper that's all. Now if you ladies would excuse me, I have a case waiting for me." With that, he gathered the debris left over from his lunch and made his way out of the break room.

After Hawkes' exit, Stella and Lindsay sat there in surprise. Just at that moment, the girl Hawkes had been yelling at stepped in the break room and poured herself a cup of coffee. She noticed the two CSIs sitting at the table and came over with a friendly grin to introduce herself.

"Hi, I'm Cassie Simmons. I work with Adam at the Trace Lab."

Lindsay took over the introductions with a warm smile. "Lindsay Monroe, and this is Stella Bonasera. We're CSIs."

Cassie replied, "Yeah, I heard. I wanted to get to know everyone, especially the CSIs, since I guess I'll be working a lot with your stuff."

The women made small talk for a while and they found out that Cassie was from the Boston Crime Lab. When asked why she decided to move to New York, she replied with a grin, "I guess I got bored there. Freaky reason, right?"

Lindsay and Stella chuckled at her remark. Stella then had a brilliant idea. "Well, if you're not doing anything later, the team is getting together for drinks after shift."

"Yeah, there's another new girl added to the team, a police officer from L.A. who used to be a roommate of mine. We're taking her out later as a welcome and it'd be great if you could join us."

Cassie answered excitedly, "Sure! That would be great." They gave Cassie directions to Sullivan's and she flashed them a last smile. "I'd better get back to work. It was nice meeting both of you." She waved at them and exited the break room.

Lindsay remarked, "She's nice."

"I think I know what's going on," Stella said with a satisfied smile.

Lindsay turned to her coworker and asked, "What?"

"With Hawkes, I mean."

"Okay… So what's going on, Stel? Enlighten me," Lindsay asked, propping her chin on her hands as she waited for Stella to explain.

"Well, here's the thing. Talking in guy speak, our new lab tech is hot!" Stella exclaimed excitedly.

Lindsay thought it over. "Yeah, I guess she is hot in that way guys like. Really cute and petite. But what does that have to do with Hawkes?"

Exasperated, Stella retorted, "Well, you should know this better than anyone, seeing as how you react to Danny!"

As Lindsay sputtered in response to Stella's remark, Stella went on explaining. "You do NOT react that violently to something without a good reason. Hawkes doesn't realize it yet, but he finds her attractive. That's why he couldn't do his Mr. Calm-and-Collected bit with her and he just reacted and exploded!"

With a start, Lindsay stopped sputtering and realized Stella was right. No matter how hard she might protest it, Stella's theory made perfect sense, especially since she _did_ react to Danny like that because she cared about him so much.

A smile curved her face as she pondered the possibility of _two_ unpredicted twists in the life of the team members. First Jordan, then now, Cassie. _Boy, the next few weeks are going to be exciting._

Stella was looking at her expectantly, "You know what this means right?"

Lindsay answered with a sneaky smile, "Of course. Let's start with tonight's thing, okay?"

Glancing at her watch, Stella answered, "Yep. We'll see how it goes. I'm also psyched to meet this roommate of yours. The way I see it, we need more girls in the NYPD. Okay, I gotta go now, but I'll see you later."

Lindsay nodded. "Bye, Stel."

* * *

The day wasn't over.

That afternoon, Danny sat in the office he shared with Lindsay. He had just gotten back from chasing down a suspect with Flack and Jordan and was poring over the data they found about their other suspects, when suddenly, Lindsay barged into their office and yelled at him.

"You jumped off the fire exit of a building???" she slammed her hands down at his table and glowered at him.

Danny looked up, startled. Then he realized why she was yelling at him and tried to explain, "Montana, I'm all right. I just went after the guy because he took off before we could question him."

"All right?! Danny, you jumped off a building!" By now, her voice had lowered to a furious whisper. She could not get past the fact that he risked his life, again. He could have fallen and broken his leg or arm or worse, his neck. The thought made her hackles rise once again and she went around the desk to pummel him.

"Ow! Ow! OW! Montana!" Danny exclaimed, simultaneously dodging her blows and making sure she did not hurt herself in her attempt to maim him for his heroics.

"Don't! Call! Me! Montana!" Each word was punctuated with a punch on his arm and then suddenly, Lindsay just deflated and stared at him angrily.

Danny looked at her warily and tried to pick words that would not result in another attempt to flatten him.

"Look, I'm sorry if I made you mad."

Lindsay continued to glare at him.

Danny tried again. "I don't know why you're getting mad, Linds. I was just doing my job."

Lindsay answered angrily, "Two weeks ago, you told me that that wasn't part of our job, _remember?_ When you didn't want me to go on that undercover thing."

Danny was instantly reminded of how scared he was the entire time Lindsay was unprotected inside that building and he responded with a jibe of his own, "When was that time? Oh, that was the time you didn't listen to me!"

At his angry tone, Lindsay let go of her anger and just looked at him. Seeing as how he was standing in front of her, alive and in one piece, soothed her fears, although she could not forget the terror she felt when she found out that Danny risked his life again. She took a steadying breath and her eyes closed wearily.

Danny's voice softened, "Did I scare you, Linds?"

She nodded.

Fighting the urge to jump around with joy at the thought that Lindsay worried about him, Danny kept his voice gentle and asked, "Why?"

Air expelled from Lindsay's body in a shudder. The moment she heard about Danny's latest stunt, she knew that she had to explain to him. She couldn't bear it if something happened to him and she wasn't even able to explain why she wasn't brave enough to risk being with him. So she promised herself to tell him the reason why she left Montana. _After_ she tore a strip from his hide.

So here she was, trying to explain.

"People die, Danny," she said quietly, keeping her eyes closed. Danny sensed that this was a serious moment and merely nodded, waiting for her to continue with her explanation.

"Two years ago, I was in my apartment with my best friend, Lia. We were hanging out that night, watching chick flicks. Then someone knocked on my door. It was the father of a man I had sent to prison. I worked a case and proved that his son was guilty of raping and murdering a 19-year-old co-ed at the university. While he was locked up, he got involved in a fight in jail and he died. The father pointed a gun at me and said, 'Just so you know how it feels to lose someone you love.' Then suddenly his hand moved and he shot Lia." At this point, Lindsay was crying, slow tears that tore at Danny's heart. He approached her and took her into his arms, and she didn't resist. She rested her head on his chest and continued her story. "I couldn't stand being in Montana anymore after that. He was caught but the memories never seemed to leave me. He's in jail now and he's never coming out. But Lia's dead and it's my fault."

She looked at Danny with tear-brightened eyes. "Don't you get it, Danny? I can't take if it people get hurt because of me and what I do. I can't lose anymore people, I just can't."

Danny's arms closed tightly around her and rocked her like as a child as he waited for her tears to subside.

A few minutes later, he tipped up her chin with his hand and his blue eyes looked steadily at her brown ones. "Is that why you can't be with me?"

For a moment, Lindsay thought of avoiding the question. But telling Danny about what happened in Montana seemed to lift the burden in her heart a little and she felt brave enough to at least admit the truth. She nodded.

Danny stroked her hair thoughtfully and said, "I can understand that. The work that you do is dangerous. But in case you haven't noticed, Linds, we happen to have the same job. We face the same dangers every day and yes, I won't lie to you, I can get hurt or get killed because of your job. But it goes both ways. The thought of you being injured or hurt because of our job, because of me, scares me like nothing else ever has. But that's our job. That's part of what we do and I can deal with that. The most we can do for each other is try and stay safe for the other person, right? In this line of work, we both know how short and how sudden life can be. Why waste your time and your life fighting what you know is true?"

Lindsay saw the sense in his words and she wanted very much to lay down her last barriers and give up to the things she felt. But her fears had been with her for so long that she found it difficult to do so.

"I'm sorry, Danny. I can't. Not yet, at least." She turned away and quietly left their office.

After Lindsay's exit, Danny collapsed in his chair, lost in his thoughts. At least it made sense now, why Lindsay couldn't bring herself to start anything with him. He thought back to the conversation and despair washed over him. Lindsay had confided in him, but she still didn't want to be with him.

Danny sighed and rubbed the heels of his hands over his eyes. Then it hit him.

_She said, 'not yet.'_

A glimmer of hope shot through him and he analyzed the conversation from all angles. _She doesn't want to be with me because she's scared to lose me. That means she cares about me._ At that moment, Danny remembered something he read once about horses. The ones who got spooked were the hardest to win over because they had innate distrust already. Lindsay was the same way. She needed to be gentled, to be accustomed to the way she felt about him, to the way he felt about her and to the fact that he was not going away and that this might be the best thing that could happen to either one of them.

Given all these things, Danny managed to come up with a plan to convince Lindsay of a plain and simple truth: they needed to be together.

* * *

Sorry this is a bit long. What did you guys think? Thanks for all the reviews on the first three chapters. Let me know what you think of this one. The next chapter will show the team on their night out after shift. Danny will also start his plan to win Lindsay over. Stay tuned:D 


	5. The One Where They All Walk Home

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the show.

Thanks for all the great reviews:D This chapter will be about the team's night out. I'm trying to give Cassie and Hawkes more interaction and maybe a little more detail on Jordan as well. :D Oh, well, let's see how it goes. :D

* * *

Word of the plan to get drinks after shift spread through the members of the Crime Lab. By the end of shift, they grabbed their stuff from their lockers and made their way to Sullivan's. It was the regular place for the CSIs to go and unwind after shift. More often than not, these "unwinding" sessions ended in someone doing something horribly embarrassing. 

That night, Stella, Hawkes, Danny, Lindsay and Adam crowded together in a booth, waiting for the rest of the gang to arrive. They started on a round of beers and joked around about their day, needling Hawkes mercilessly about that incident in the Trace Lab.

Hawkes, for his part, was remarkably calm about the whole situation. He kept insisting that they just both lost their tempers and was trying to interest the team in a discussion of the upcoming NYPD Christmas Ball.

Lindsay laughed at Hawkes' pathetic attempts to divert the subject. "I cannot believe you are obsessing about the Ball. It's…" she thought for a while, "a month and a half away!"

Hawkes let out a sigh and focused all his mental capabilities on willing himself to become invisible. _Nope, no such luck._

But Stella was not yet done with the topic of Cassie Simmons and she asked Adam to tell the group a little bit more about working with the new girl. Stella teased, "Did you give her the new girl crap that Danny gave Lindsay?"

"Hey!" Danny protested. "I did not give her crap! I was just… welcoming her, that's all!"

"Ha!" Lindsay snorted from beside him. "If that is how you welcome people, then I can't wait to see how you deal with someone you don't like!"

At that, the group let out a roar of laughter at Danny's reddening face. They quickly discovered that nothing was more entertaining than watching the rookie cut the big, bad Danny Messer down to size.

"I don't know why I hang out with you people!" Danny threw up his hands in mock exasperation and quickly took a big swig from his beer.

Stella reached out across the table to pat his arm. "That's cause you _loooove_ us!" she smirked.

"Hey! I do not love _all _of you," Danny pointed out, tilting his beer bottle in emphasis of this point. "I love _some _of you."

Without meaning to, Lindsay's face colored as she grasped the hidden significance of Danny's words. She wasn't the only one at the table who noticed Danny's head tilt slightly towards her as he said the last part.

Stella broke the significant silence that ensued by prompting Adam, "Hey, Adam! You never answered my question. What's Cassie like?"

Adam took a gulp of his beer before answering. "Well, she's nice, I guess. Works hard. Really quick on her toes and she really knows her way around a trace lab. The girl can talk though," he finished, with a slight nod towards Hawkes, who glowered at him.

"Yeah, Stella and I met her in the break room and she was really friendly," Lindsay interjected.

Just at that moment, Danny caught sight of Flack and Jordan. He gently nudged Lindsay and pointed towards the couple weaving their way through the crowded bar. "Montana, say hi to your friend."

Lindsay looked up from her engrossed study of the beer bottle in front of her. After Danny's remark, she suddenly developed an interest in the alcoholic content of the beverage she was ingesting. She needed the time to collect her thoughts after Danny's subtly worded avowal scattered her brains.

As luck (good or bad) would have had it, she ended up being seated next to Danny in the crowded booth. She suspected that it wasn't an accident: Stella most likely planned it that way and Danny took advantage of the opportunity to be close to her. _Not that you mind, Montana_. That voice again. In her head, she had taken to calling herself Montana. _You know you don't really mind being pressed up close to Danny. You like everything about this guy: the way he feels next to you, solid and strong, safe and warm, the way he smells, the way his body would unconsciously lean closer. Yep, you're enjoying this._

Lindsay tore herself from her inner musings to wave to the two detectives. Flack was guiding Jordan by placing his hand on the small of her back. Beside Lindsay, Danny noted the telltale action and raised his eyebrows suggestively and Lindsay had to choke back a laugh.

"Hey, Flack, Jordan!" Lindsay greeted them. "Flack, introduce her to everybody."

Flack touched Jordan's arm and started to point around the booth. "Jordan, this is Sheldon Hawkes, formerly M.E., now, he's one of the lab dudes. This is Stella Bonasera, and you remember Danny and well, you know Lindsay, and that's Adam Ross. He's one of the lab techs." Everyone took their turns raising their bottles to Jordan in a salute. "Everybody, this is Jordan Addison, formerly LAPD, now she's one of New York City's finest."

"Hey, Addison!" Danny called out. "Nice to see you made it through the day. Flack didn't give you a hard time now, did he?"

"Nope. Takes more than that to get me down. Plus, Don's been really great, what with showing me all the ropes," Jordan replied, flashing Flack a small smile.

Flack's lips curved in a gloating smirk and said, "See, Messer, I know how to be nice to the new girls."

Danny's mature response to that comment was to snort and raise his beer bottle to his lips.

Flack pushed Adam farther down the circular booth to give Jordan room to sit and plopped down beside her. There was more than enough room, although the booth was rapidly getting crowded. The arrival of two more people was pushing too many people together, including Danny and Lindsay.

For his part, Danny didn't really mind. To accommodate Flack and Jordan, he was forced to sit back with his arm draped over the back of the booth, half-turning his body towards Lindsay.

In turn, Lindsay's pulse rate rose significantly at the new and improved seating arrangement. She was now squashed against Danny's side with his arm around her. If she were to be completely honest with herself, she didn't really mind it. In fact, she enjoyed the warm cocoon that his arm provided and she found herself leaning more comfortably against him.

When Lindsay snuggled deeper into his side, Danny was a bit surprised but he recovered quickly. If Lindsay wanted to come nice and close to him, he wouldn't be the one to stop her. By now, his hand was three inches from curling around her shoulder and he itched to curve his hand around it to pull her closer. He took a deep breath and just enjoyed the fact that his Montana was pressed up against him and she wasn't pulling away.

Down the table, Jordan was also squished companionably against Flack. He leaned his head to ask her what she wanted and she found herself staring at his impossibly blue eyes. She was again surprised by how much she liked looking at them, so it took her a few milliseconds to understand what he was asking her. "Oh, a beer would be fine," she answered, smiling ruefully as she fought to redirect her thoughts. _Lord, he really was a nice man to be squished against._

Flack signaled for two beers and turned back to his friends. "Where's Mac?"

Stella answered for the group, "Catching up on paperwork. According to a little birdie, he needs to finish a stack of papers so we can get our Christmas bonuses."

Danny perked at the thought of a Christmas bonus. The other day, he found the perfect Christmas gift for Lindsay. He knew that it was a long way off, but hey, a guy had to be prepared right? "Bonus! There's the magic word! So we getting them soon? Who's the 'little birdie' who told you?" Danny demanded.

Stella laughed, "Mac."

At that, the entire table burst out laughing.

Flack caught Jordan's quizzical expression and leaned his head towards her to answer her unasked question. "Mac is the head of the NYPD Crime Lab. He's the boss of these guys," pointing his bottle to the other occupants of the table. "He can't be here tonight, cause he's all buried in paperwork."

"I see," came Jordan's response. "Well, I guess, I'll meet him some other time then." She smiled at Flack.

Flack's breath caught at the simplicity of Jordan Addison. He really had lucked out when she was assigned to become his partner. He looked down at her, and he was close enough to notice how clean she smelled. Even after a day on the field, chasing down some of the scummiest criminals to walk the earth, she looked fresh. Her brown eyes shone as she laughed with the other people in the booth. Flack couldn't help it, he stared.

Flack didn't notice Danny lean closer to Lindsay and whisper in her ear, "Hey, Montana. Look at Flack. He's all spaced out." Lindsay turned her head to see what Danny meant and was delighted to notice that Flack had indeed spaced out. What made her smile wider was the fact that Flack apparently spaced out because he was staring at Jordan. She of course, wasted no time in pointing that fact out to her partner in crime. "Yep, and guess why he spaced out?" Here, Lindsay made the mistake of turning to face Danny. His face was so close to hers that she could make out the smoky outline of his irises. His blue eyes were fixed firmly onto hers and she jerked away before she drowned in the blue depths.

Danny cleared his throat and shifted a bit. He was always shaken by how easily Lindsay got past his barriers and unsettled him. To divert everyone's attention, he decided to put the spotlight on Flack, who was still gazing at Jordan.

"Hey, Flack, what's the matter? You've never seen a good-looking girl before?" Danny questioned, smirking at Flack. Stella, Hawkes and Adam burst out laughing when Flack was jolted out of his reverie, sliding a glance at Jordan, who blushed when she realized that Flack was staring at her.

"Looks like you're enjoying having a partner, Flack," Stella joined in the teasing.

Everyone noticed the subtle reddening of Flack's face. In an attempt to draw the attention away from him and Jordan, he asked, "Why are you lab rats picking on me today? Didn't anything interesting happen today?"

Stella suddenly remembered that Flack still didn't know about Hawkes' incident. She unwittingly rescued Flack by regaling him with a narration of how Hawkes yelled at the lab girl.

Hawkes groaned as the table chortled with mirth. _So it's back to me again. _

Stella was slapping the table in amusement. "You should have seen him, Flack. He had this folder and he was waving it around and he was soaked in coffee and he was yelling at this girl who was just absolutely tiny!"

Jordan looked in amazement at the seemingly mild-mannered Hawkes, sitting morosely in the booth. "You yell?" she asked incredulously.

Flack was just gaping at Hawkes. "But you never yell."

Hawkes heaved a long-suffering sigh and resigned himself to his friends' teasing. "We just both lost our temper that's all. And it's not like I was picking on a helpless little baby. She was yelling right back at me."

Flack turned to Stella, casually imitating Danny's position and draping his arm around the back of the booth, subtly leaning closer to Jordan. "So what's this chick like?"

Cassie then chose to appear at the table, accompanied by Marty Pino. "Hey, everyone. Guess who I picked up on the way here?"

Stella and Lindsay waved to Cassie and motioned to Hawkes to move over so that Cassie and Marty could slide in. Hawkes shot her an annoyed glance and begrudgingly moved over. Stella took over the introductions this time. Cassie flashed a bright smile at each new person until her eyes clapped on Hawkes. Upon seeing him, her eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms. Then realizing that there was nowhere else to sit, she reluctantly slid in next to him and gestured to Marty to sit down next to her.

Danny leaned across the table and whispered to Flack. "That's the chick." He fell back into his place beside Lindsay and smirked as Flack looked over the woman who made Hawkes lose his temper.

Lindsay and Stella exchanged amused glances as Hawkes expression darkened. But he knew that if he said anything, pretty much everybody would give him hell for it. So he just signaled to the waiter to bring him one more beer.

* * *

Cassie's nose wrinkled in distaste. _Damn. If I knew he was here, I wouldn't have come. _Cassie never really took any crap from anybody and when Hawkes had flared up this morning, she flared right back. She never really expected him to yell back. Apparently, what happened this morning was something like headline news at the lab. If she learned one new truth on her first day in the NYPD Crime Lab, it was this: Sheldon Hawkes never yelled, but he yelled at her. She thought back to what happened on her first day.

* * *

_Flashback: _

Throughout the day, Adam kept sneaking nervous glances at her. She supposed it was because he was semi-scared of the girl who made the gentle doctor yell. By noon, she had gotten fed up and asked Adam if something was on her face. Adam had stammered out an explanation. He looked so scared that Cassie couldn't help but laugh and point out that she didn't bite. Adam replied to that by saying, "But you made Hawkes yell!"

Cassie had gritted her teeth and said, "Adam, I'm not yelling at you. So why are you so scared of me?" She was quite proud of herself because her explanation was so logical. Adam just stared wide-eyed at her and said. "You made Hawkes yell!"

At that, Cassie threw up her hands and decided that she would just have to wait for time to show Adam that she wasn't scary at all. _Except that the truth is, girl, you ARE scary, _she mentally berated herself. Sighing, she went back to her work and lost herself in the intricate process of getting answers from seemingly random bits of material. But that didn't stop the wheels in her head from analyzing herself and her situation.

Her physical stature belied her inner personality. See, Cassie was small. She was only 5'2" and she had really petite bone structure, which made her look more delicate than most people. So she made up for her size by having a big, booming personality.

She was the type to command attention wherever she went. In high school, even though she wasn't one of the blond and popular ones, she was well-known. She had a talent for making people do things, being sugary sweet when needed and playing hardball if necessary.

She was also aware of the fact that men found her attractive. She always had a steady stream of admirers. She had the look that guys went for: wavy brown hair, smooth milk chocolate skin and big brown eyes. She also had a pretty nice figure, given the fact that she used to be a cheerleader. Even after high school, she kept up a rigorous exercise routine that kept her body toned. But beyond being beautiful, she was also intelligent. She had an IQ of 145, which made her smarter than most of the people she knew. But because she was small and pretty, people forgot that there was space in her small head for an amazing brain. In college, she decided to devote that brain to studying chemistry, getting her degree and earning her place in the Boston Crime Lab as a Trace Lab Analyst.

Cassie had also learned long ago not to take any crap from anybody. Most of the time, people found it hard to take her seriously because she was so… well, cute. So she learned that she had to _make_ people take her seriously. She learned how to bulldoze her way through life. She usually scared people until they took the time to get to know her and discover her quirks well enough to not be afraid of her.

She let out a sigh. _Oh, well. I guess time will have to work its magic and Adam will just have to be scared for a while. I do take some getting used to._

Despite resigning herself to that fact, Cassie made a vow to herself. _Okay, I guess I DO have to start being less scary. Alright, I'll be nice. _Then she remembered the incident from that morning and winced. _Easier said than done, Cass. Oh well. Let's take it a day at a time then._

* * *

Looking at Hawkes once again, Cassie thought to herself. _Well I don't have to be nice to EVERYONE, right? _

Her eyes found Marty. _Now, him I could be nice to. _Marty caught up to her in the locker room and invited her to join the team for drinks. She had smiled at him and told him that Lindsay and Stella had already invited her. So Marty gallantly offered to keep her company on the short walk to the bar.

On the way, they had a lot of fun, laughing at the most mundane things and getting to know the basic details about the other person. She told him where she came from, why she transferred and what her favorite movie was. By the time they got to the bar, she and Marty were gabbing like old pals. Of course, it didn't hurt that Marty was cute in a boy next door way.

So far, everyone in the lab had been nice, welcoming her into the fold and making her first day as painless as possible. Except for _him._ Cassie couldn't figure out why he irritated her so much. It also didn't help that he seemed to be as aggravated by her presence as she was by his.

Cassie shrugged it off. If she couldn't figure it out now, it will come to her soon enough. In the meantime, she was in a crowded bar with her fun-loving co-workers, a beer in her hand and a cute guy by her side. She laughed along with the others as Danny told the story of the time Lindsay tried an assortment of exotic meals made up of bugs. _Yep. It doesn't get any better than this._

* * *

Stella gazed out at the three younger men in front of her. She had known Danny, Hawkes and Flack for a while and she loved them as brothers. Seeing as how they were the closest things she had to siblings, she was often very protective of them, especially when it came to women. But right now, she knew enough to see that her boys had finally met their matches. 

Danny and Lindsay were looking more and more comfortable in the booth. As the evening had progressed, Danny's arm had moved from the back of the booth to curl around Lindsay's shoulder. Lindsay didn't seem to mind being plastered to Danny's side. At one point in the evening, she unconsciously wiped a bit of tortilla chip clinging to the side of Danny's lip, an action that did not go unnoticed by Flack.

"So how's your night so far, Messer?" Flack inquired, waggling his eyebrows cheekily.

"S'not so bad, Flack. How's yours?" Danny rebutted, subtly inclining his head to point out that Flack's own arm was curled around his partner. Jordan merely laughed and settled more comfortably against Flack's side, grateful for the fact that the crowded booth gave her an excuse to stay near Flack. This small gesture was also intercepted by Stella Bonasera's uncanny ability to sense how people felt about others. _Yep, she likes him. And judging by the way he doesn't let go of her, he likes her too. Wonder when he'll figure it out?  
_

Flack and Danny had been friends for so long that this kind of teasing had become commonplace. Flack smoothly caught the ball of the conversation and passed it to Hawkes. "Couldn't be better, Messer. Although I can't say the same about Sulky here," he answered, jerking his thumb at Hawkes, who spent the night alternately staring daggers at Cassie and at Marty, who were obviously having a good time of their own.

Hawkes just grunted at the two of them. Danny and Flack, of course found this hilarious.

By nine o'clock, it was a boisterous group that wrapped up the evening. It had been an enjoyable one, with banter traded back and forth and the team alternately teasing Flack, Danny and Hawkes. But they were Mac's good little troopers and they were on call tomorrow, except for Stella, so they all called it a night and decided to head home.

Stella, being the big sister of the group, made sure that the girls had a way home. Danny immediately volunteered to take Lindsay home, prompting a snicker from Flack.

Stella then turned to Jordan, "How about you, Addison? You need a lift?"

Jordan was about to accept when Flack interjected. "It's okay, Stel. I'll take her home."

Jordan laid her hand on his arm and asked, "Sure it's okay, Don?" Flack smiled at her and replied easily, "Of course."

Stella relented and turned to the next one. "How about you, Cassie?"

Cassie answered with a smile, "Thanks, Stel, but Marty already volunteered to take me home." She turned to the M.E. and let him pull her out of the booth.

Outside Sullivan's, the group went their separate ways.

As Stella walked to her car, she reflected on Hawkes' moodiness. _Just as I suspected. He couldn't have been more pissed every time Cassie laughed at what Pino said._ Stella concluded that it would take more convincing to get Hawkes to admit he found the new lab tech attractive. But the evening wasn't a total waste. She was certain of how Hawkes felt. The evening together was just the first step in pushing together the two. She estimated that by the time the Christmas Ball came around, things would have worked out between Hawkes and Cassie.

* * *

Danny and Lindsay walked the way to her apartment in companionable silence. On the subway ride home, she was constantly jolted against him by sudden movements of the train but after the first two times it happened, she didn't move away anymore. Danny felt like his heart was beating double time at her closeness and it took all his will power not to pull her closer. 

_Slow and steady, Messer. Just cause she's not so skittish around you anymore doesn't mean she won't bolt if you come too close, too soon._ Danny cautioned himself. He was more than willing to wait and put in the extra effort to convince Lindsay that she was meant to be with him. Although he would never admit it to anyone except her, it had finally sunk in that he loved Lindsay Monroe. And he would do whatever it took to be with her. In fact, he kind of looked forward to the idea of taming his tough and guarded Montana. And his plan was about to go into action.

All too soon, they reached her apartment building. Danny ignored Lindsay's protests and walked her upstairs to her door, to make sure she got in safely. As much as he hated for the evening to end, he was also glad that they were at her place already, so he could give her his offering for the day.

Lindsay stopped outside her apartment. Throughout the walk back to her place, Danny had been silent. But his silence was contemplative and she enjoyed the quiet time to just be with him and feel his presence. She was altogether too disappointed when they finally reached her door because it meant that he would go his way soon.

She turned back to Danny to thank him for walking her home. Suddenly shy, she fumbled for her keys and smiled at him. "Thanks, Danny. You really didn't have to go all this way just to walk me home."

Danny grinned back. "You kidding me, Montana? I'd never let you walk home by yourself. You have any idea what kind of creeps walk around New York at night? What the hell do you do for a living anyway?"

Lindsay cracked up at that. "Well, I guess when you put it that way…" Her voice trailed off and she just kept on smiling at him. "You want to come in?"

Danny hesitated, tempted by her offer. But then he decided that he'd rather give Lindsay a little space, not to spook her too soon or crowd her too much. He smiled regretfully at Lindsay, "I'll take a rain check on that, Montana. You're probably tired and you need to get your rest. We're both on tomorrow, right?"

Lindsay nodded, both surprised and disappointed by Danny's reaction to her offer. "Okay, Danny. I guess… I'll just see you tomorrow?" She couldn't control the questioning tone in her voice.

Danny just smiled reassuringly at her, as though he could sense her confusion. "You can count on it, Montana. Want me to swing by and pick you up tomorrow?"

Lindsay hesitated and then smiled. "Sure. Stop by early, I'll make you breakfast before we go to work."

Danny grinned back, privately elated at getting a little morning time with Lindsay before work. "Sure thing."

As she went inside, she heard him call out, "Montana!"

Lindsay poked her head out the door and looked at him, "Yeah, Messer?"

Danny was holding something in his hand. "I almost forgot to give you this." He smiled almost boyishly and handed her a small brown paper bag. "Night, Montana. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night, Danny. Thanks again for walking me home."

"My pleasure. Go on now, close the door, so I know you're safe."

Lindsay smiled at him one last time and closed the door.

As he made his way down the hall to the elevators, his phone beeped. Hoping and praying that it wasn't Mac, he flipped it open. He smiled when he saw the screen. _Message from Montana. Open now? _He clicked "Yes". _Let me know when you get home? _

Danny chuckled softly to himself, warmed by the memory of having Lindsay pressed against him in the bar earlier that night. _You're worth the wait, Montana._

* * *

Lindsay leaned against her door and typed a quick message on her phone. _Send message to Danny Messer? _She clicked "Yes" and flipped her phone closed with a dreamy sigh. 

Humming to herself, she laid her keys on the counter and curled up on the couch to open the mysterious present that Danny left for her.

Inside the brown paper bag was a small bag of Hershey's Milk Chocolate Kisses. Lindsay let out a delighted gasp. She remembered two weeks ago, when the team was arguing about which kind of candy was the best. She also recalled mentioning that Hershey's Milk Chocolate Kisses were her favorite.

Smiling softly at Danny's thoughtfulness, she pulled another item out of the bag. It was a small compact disc. Inside the case was a small envelope that had "Montana" written on the outer flap. She pulled a small piece of paper out of the envelope and read the message inside.

_Montana! Pop this into your CD player and think of me. Love, Danny_

Lindsay pulled out the disc and made her way to her small credenza, where her CD player was housed. She put the disc inside and sat back down on the couch, opening the bag of Kisses as she went.

She wasn't really sure what she was expecting, but she was surprised to hear the opening notes of the song in the disc. She sat there and listened to the song, to the words.

_I won't talk, I won't breathe  
I won't move till you finally see  
That you belong with me  
You might think I don't look  
But deep inside the corner of my mind  
I'm attached to you  
_

_I'm weak, it's true  
Cause I'm afraid to know the answer  
Do you want me too?  
Cause my heart keeps falling faster_

_I've waited all my life to cross this line  
To the only thing that's true  
So I will not hide  
It's time to try anything to be with you  
All my life I've waited  
This is true_

_You don't know what you do  
Everytime you walk into the room  
I'm afraid to move  
_

_I'm weak, it's true  
I'm just scared to know the ending  
Do you see me too?  
Do you even know you met me?_

_I've waited all my life to cross this line  
To the only thing that's true  
So I will not hide  
It's time to try anything to be with you  
All my life I've waited  
This is true_

_I know when I go  
I'll be on my way to you  
The way that's true_

_I've waited all my life to cross this line  
To the only thing that's true  
So I will not hide  
It's time to try anything to be with you  
All my life I've waited  
This is true_

As the notes of the song faded, Lindsay sat there on the couch, hearing the echo of the words. She knew what it meant. This was Danny's way to gently remind her that he was there, that he would wait until she was completely ready to be with him. She also realized that that was the reason why Danny didn't take her up on her offer to come in earlier. _He wants me to be sure._ A smile curved her lips and felt her heart lift.

Still smiling softly to herself and humming the melody of the song, she made her way to the bedroom where she got ready for bed. She changed into cropped sweatpants that clung comfortably to the curves of her body and a white tank top. She curled up on her bed but couldn't sleep. Danny still hadn't called to let her know he was home.

Lying there in the darkness of her bedroom, Lindsay allowed her mind to remember the evening she spent with Danny. Being nestled in the crook of his arm was one of the most pleasurable things she had ever experienced and she shivered at the memory.

On the nightstand, her phone beeped and she reached for it. _Message from Danny Messer. Read now? _Lindsay smiled and clicked "Yes". _I'm home, Montana. Sweetest dreams._

Lindsay replaced the phone on the nightstand and drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face.

* * *

On the other end of town, Flack walked up the stairs with Jordan to her apartment. On the way home, they stopped by for a bite, since they hadn't eaten much at the bar. Just like the entire day, dinner was filled with fun and laughter. She and Flack got to know each other and shared some stories about their childhood. At the end of the evening, she felt completely welcomed to New York City. 

As they reached her apartment, she turned and smiled shyly at Flack. "Well, this is me."

Flack glanced at the door and made a mental note of the apartment number. _Well, I gotta know where my new partner lives right? What if there's an emergency? _Having satisfactorily convinced himself that what he was doing was not stalking, he smiled back at Jordan.

"I guess this is where your first day ends," Flack remarked. "Good one for you, I hope."

Jordan laughed and said, "Yeah, it was great. The people from the lab are fun."

"I know. Messer annoys me sometimes but I love hanging out with them," Flack replied. "Don't tell them that, though."

This earned another peal of laughter from Jordan and Flack's eyes danced with amusement. She had a great laugh. Light and airy and it made you want to laugh along with her.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," Flack self-consciously stuck his hands inside his pockets. He honestly did not know why he was suddenly so aware of the fact that it was just the two of them in the hallway.

Jordan seemed oblivious to his discomfort. She just stepped inside her door and said, "I'd love to invite you in, but the place is a mess." She waved her hand towards the inside of her apartment and Flack caught sight of a mountain of boxes. She obviously hadn't finished moving in.

Flack swallowed and offered tentatively, "Well, if you need help moving in, just let me know okay?" I'll swing by and lug a few boxes for you and all you have to do is feed me."

Jordan chuckled. "Sounds like a good offer to me. Maybe on our day off, if you have nothing better to do?"

Flack responded eagerly, "Sure!" Glancing at his watch, he added, "Let's talk details tomorrow. It's getting late and we have a busy day tomorrow. We have to question that suspect from the Petersen case."

Jordan smiled. "Alright, Don. I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks again." With one last wave, she slipped inside and closed the door behind her.

Flack turned away and headed down the hall to the stairs. On the way down, his phone beeped. _Message from Jordan Addison. Read now?_ Flack wondered why Jordan was messaging him. _Take care. Let me know when you get home? _

Flack grinned happily as he made his way down to the car. Whistling to himself, he thanked his lucky stars again for getting Jordan Addison as his partner. Why he was so happy, he didn't want to examine that now. For now, it was enough that he was happy.

* * *

I hope this satisfies everyone's curiosity about Jordan and Cassie, as well as our satisfying those who like me, are going through serious D/L withdrawal. I know Jordan seems a little too delicate and sweet to be part of NYPD, but she's really supposed to be like that. When we see her on a case, that's when her toughness and grit will show and Flack will like her more for that. She's the kind of person who is a bit shy on the outside, but does what is needed to get the job done. 

I deliberately didn't put much conversation in this one, just to focus more on the inner workings of the minds of the characters. Let me know what you think. :D

P.S. Another disclaimer: The song on the disc is "True" by Ryan Cabrera. It is not my song and it doesn't belong to me, but it's a great D/L song anyway.


	6. The One With Lindsay's Resolution

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the show.

Your reviews warm my heart. :D I've been seriously missing D/L in the episodes so I decided to write my own to give me my D/L fix for the week. :D

* * *

The next morning, Lindsay woke up with a smile on her face. She indulged herself and snuggled deeper into her bed, recalling the previous night. She suppressed a shiver as she recalled the words of the song.

_I've waited all my life to cross this line, to the only thing that's true. So I will not hide, it's time to try anything to be with you. All my life I've waited, this is true._

Lindsay sighed. It was getting harder and harder by the minute to suppress the inner voice telling her to give Danny a chance, to let herself go, to let herself love him and be loved by him. _He's been so patient. I've given him every reason to walk away. I've rebuffed his advances and I've stood him up. But he's still there, waiting for me to be ready. _

She chewed on her lip for a minute, contemplating the thought of a relationship between her and Danny. _It won't even be awkward at work cause everyone's pretty much expecting this to happen anyway._ Hell, _she_ knew that it would happen eventually. It was only a matter of time. Telling Danny all about what happened in Montana was a huge step in that direction though. She shook her head firmly. _I meant what I said. I'm not ready for a relationship. Not yet. But I think I will be. _Smiling to herself at that thought, she stretched and reached for her phone. _I wonder what time he'll get here._

When she flipped her phone open, she found a message from Danny waiting for her. _Morning, Montana. Hope I didn't wake u. I have to take a rain check on breakfast. Mac called me to a scene. Let me make it up to you?_

Sighing in disappointment, Lindsay rose from the bed. _As long as I'm up, might as well get ready for work. _She went to her closet and surveyed the contents. _What to wear, what to wear?_ she mused. She opted to wear a scoop necked dark green sweater with her form-fitting slacks. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she knew deep inside that she was dressing up for Danny. She secretly loved the way he couldn't keep his eyes off her sometimes. She pretended not to notice when he would check her out or when he cast sideway glances at her while working.

Humming to herself, she stepped in the bathroom and got ready for work. Half an hour later, she was on the subway to the lab.

When she got to the lab, she stopped by her locker to stow the change of clothes she brought. The last set of extra clothing she had was put to good use the last time she was assigned to do the dumpster dive. She learned the hard way that it always paid to have an extra change of clothes in her locker. She did _not_ want Danny Messer to come near her and smell garbage.

When she pulled her locker open, she was surprised to find another envelope, identical to the one tucked inside the CD case last night. It was propped up against a purple orchid.

Her lips curved in a smile as she read the note. _Montana, I'm glad you got to work safely. I'm sorry I couldn't have breakfast with you this morning. Can I make it up to you over lunch? Love, Danny_

Lindsay stood there for a moment, grinning like a lovesick teenage girl and holding the soft flower in her hand.

At that moment, Stella happened to breeze into the locker room. She spied Lindsay standing in front of her locker, a goofy grin on her face. She also caught sight of the purple bloom in her hand and wisely kept silent. Stella had a pretty good idea who the flower came from, since she saw Danny sneaking it into the lab that morning. She quietly exited the lab, secretly overjoyed that Danny was doing something to win Lindsay over. They weren't together yet, she knew that much, but she was sure that it was only a matter of time.

Stella was one witness to how much Danny had changed since meeting Lindsay. She loved Danny like a brother. He was brash, cocky, sometimes arrogant, oftentimes funny and hot-headed. His reputation as the lab's Casanova was well-deserved. Ever since she met him, he always had a string of different girls that he took out, never settling down with one, breaking it off before the relationship got complicated. But since he and Lindsay started getting to know each other, she noticed that Danny went on fewer and fewer dates, until it came to the point that the only time he went out was when he was with the team. Or Lindsay.

_Good for you, Danny boy. You got yourself a keeper. _She just hoped Lindsay wouldn't take too long to realize the truth that everybody knew: she and Danny belonged together. Smiling cheerfully to herself, Stella made her way back to her work area. She could grab her sweater from her locker later.

* * *

Danny stepped into the locker room. For some reason, Mac called him early that morning and asked him to assist on a body dump in a back alley in Queens. According to Mac, he was still working the Petersen case with Lindsay but they just needed a little help that morning. _If I knew what kind of help they needed, I never woulda come._ Danny grimaced. He smelled like crap because he was the unlucky bozo who got stuck with dumpster duty this time. _At least I found the weapon. Otherwise that might have been such a bust. _Catching another whiff of his unwanted perfume, he decided to take a long shower to get rid of the smell.

As he opened his locker door, he was met by a pleasant surprise. A small brown paper bag with his favorite bagel sat inside his locker. Attached to the small baggie was a note. _Hey, Messer_._ You couldn't come to have breakfast, so I brought breakfast to you. I'll see you later for lunch. Have a nice day! – Montana_

Danny couldn't help it. His faced ached because of the fact that his smile had gotten progressively wider from the time that he found the baggie and he finished reading the note. _Stop smiling, Messer_! He commanded himself sternly. _Will you get a grip?_ Okay, so that didn't work, he was still grinning like an idiot.

He took a thorough shower, making sure that he got rid of the garbage smell from that morning. By the time he finished, his face was still frozen into that dopey grin. He got dressed, pulling on a green shirt as he walked out of the locker room and towards the office he shared with Lindsay. _Wonder if she'll be there?_

* * *

Lindsay spied Danny approaching through the glass doors. She took a deep breath and wondered how she would act around him and how he would act around her.

"Morning, Montana!" he called out, smiling at her.

"Hey Danny! I heard you went dumpster diving again," she answered, smiling shyly back at him. He looked good today. She licked her lips as she took him in. He was wearing jeans that were tight enough and loose enough at the same time. A forest green shirt hugged his chest, arms and shoulders the right way, in addition to the glasses framing twinkling blue eyes and a cocky grin that made her want to throw herself at him.

"Yep. Mac had me doing an assist on a body dump. But enough about that, what have we got on that Petersen case?"

Lindsay drew her attention to the matter at hand. "Fingernail scrapings under the vic's nails came back with seven alleles in common. We're looking for a sibling."

"Okay, that's do-able. She have any siblings that we know of?" Danny asked, his brow furrowing in concentration.

"She does. I called Flack and Jordan with the news. They picked her up and they're bringing her to the station. We're meeting them there in Interrogation Room 5 in about…" she glanced at her watch, "Okay, about now."

Danny laughed, "Looks like I got back just in time. C'mon, Montana. Let's go watch the detectives kick ass."

* * *

Flack and Jordan sat in the interrogation room with Sasha Petersen. She was a nineteen year old co-ed, pretty girl like her sister. But unlike her sister, she was dead and she had scratches on her arms. Flack and Jordan were asking her about the said scratches when Danny and Lindsay stepped into the viewing room to watch the interrogation.

Flack repeated, "Ms. Petersen, where did you get these scratches?"

Sasha sat there sullenly, avoiding both detectives' eyes. "I dunno."

Flack raised his eyebrows while Jordan sat and observed. "You dunno? Your sister's dead and that's the best you can come up with? You dunno? You're kidding, right?"

Sasha shifted in her chair and refused to answer.

Suddenly, Jordan sprang up from her casually seated position and sauntered over to Sasha. She perched herself on the table and brought her gaze to level with the suspect's.

Sasha shifted her head and turned away, but Jordan was persistent. She caught Sasha's chin in her hand and forced the girl to look into her green eyes, made flinty by her intensity.

She spoke hard and fast to the girl who blinked at her in surprise. "You listen to me, Sasha. Your sister is dead. We found your DNA underneath her nails because she scratched you. Now, you can tell me your side of the story, or you can choose to not talk. Either way, we can prove that you killed her. We have enough evidence to send you to jail for a long, long time. Talking to us now can make the difference between homicide and murder. So," she finished in the same hard tone. "Your choice, kid. What'll it be?"

Sasha blinked once, twice. She looked at Flack, hoping for a rescue, but all she got was a detective who crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall. He tilted his head in his partner's direction and drawled, "Couldn't have said it better myself."

Sasha looked back at Jordan, her expression pleading. Then she crumbled. Tears leaked out slowly from her eyes and she began sobbing.

"I didn't mean to. Shauna and I were arguing. She got mad at me because she found out I started partying again. She was really afraid that my father would disinherit me and I'd have no future so she was always on my case about cleaning up my act. I went to her house that day to get something that I left and we ended up in an argument. She wouldn't let me leave until she finished talking and I got so mad, so I pushed her. She scratched my arm when she fell back and then she hit her head on the corner of her study table. I tried to wake her up, but she wouldn't wake up, she really wouldn't! Please, you have to believe me! I didn't mean to kill her, I didn't mean to kill her…" Sasha dissolved in a heap on the floor, crying.

Flack shook his head and motioned to the two police officers waiting. After they had taken Sasha away, Lindsay and Danny stepped into the interrogation room. Danny was shaking his head in amazement and Lindsay went to congratulate Flack and Jordan.

"Jesus, Addison. Didn't know you had it in you to be that mean." Danny asked, unable to believe that the hard-eyed detective who had gotten Sasha Petersen to crack was the same Jordan Addison pushed up against Flack last night at the bar. She sure as hell seemed really sweet. He had privately wondered how she could go against the scum she would have to face as a member of the NYPD. Now he wasn't wondering anymore. The girl can hold her own.

As Lindsay and Danny talked a little more about the case, Flack allowed his thoughts to wander. He liked Jordan a lot already when she was soft and sweet and a bit shy. But today, she revealed a whole different side of her when they had gone down to Sasha Petersen's apartment to bring her to the station. When the girl refused to come with them, Jordan's persona had changed. From being soft-spoken and quiet, she immediately adopted a threatening stance that did Flack proud and told the girl she was either coming with them willingly or in handcuffs, her choice.

In the interrogation room, her temper and grit revealed itself. She pushed the right buttons and got the girl to crack with the right combination of persuasiveness, logic and threat that Flack secretly found very sexy. He was seeing a whole new side of Jordan Addison and well, he like it a whole lot.

Lindsay pulled Flack out of his reverie by nudging him, "Hey, Flack!"

Flack jerked and said, "Yeah, sorry. Just remembered something. What were we talking about?"

Danny smirked beside him and answered, "Yeah, Montana, I bet you twenty bucks that I know what Flack was remembering."

Flack shot his friend a dirty look and redirected his question to the saner half of that pair. "Lindsay, what were we talking about?"

Lindsay laughed and rescued him. "Nothing, I was just asking Jordan how the moving was coming along. The way she described her place, it looked just like mine when I moved here. Boxes everywhere."

Jordan joined in and laughed with Lindsay. "Well, Don was nice enough to offer to help me move in on his day off, so I guess I'll be making a lot of headway with the boxes soon." She glanced at Flack and smiled at him.

Flack's breath caught when Jordan smiled at him. Damn, that was getting to be an inconvenient reaction. However, he was rapidly getting used to it. A day or two more and he should be able to function normally even when Jordan's smile was aimed at his direction. He couldn't wait until his day off came. He didn't enjoy the idea of helping her move in, buthe knew enough to realize that he would have gone shark hunting if it meant he could spend more time with her.

He hit upon a brilliant idea and a roguish smile appeared on his face. "Say, Messer. Don't we have the same day off? Why don't you help me help Jordan fix her apartment?"

Danny glared at him and gritted his teeth. _Dammit, Flack! Why do you have to go and drag me into this?_

His thoughts were interrupted by Lindsay. "Yeah, that's a great idea. Flack, Danny and I have the same day off and I could also help if you want."

Danny's scowl disappeared immediately and he smiled. "Sure, Addison. I'd be glad to help out." He silently promised himself to take Flack out for a drink. Never mind the fact that he was maneuvered into spending his day off hauling boxes and furniture. At least Lindsay would be there. He looked at her and smiled and she smiled back.

Flack didn't miss the slight change in the way Danny and Lindsay looked at each other. He couldn't pin it down but something had changed between the two of them. He knew in his gut that they weren't together, not yet, but they had taken a step further in that direction.

Jordan also noticed the exchanged between the two. She stifled the grin that threatened to take over her face. Lindsay was a friend, although they hadn't seen each other in years. They had good memories with each other and she sensed that her friend would be happy with Danny. She would gladly do what it took to help get the two together. _Plus, it doesn't suck that I have two more people helping me with moving in. Two birds with one stone, _she thought, snickering to herself.

"Well, we gotta go get back to the lab," Danny remarked. "Congratulations, Jordan, you just nailed your first case with the NYPD. Didn't do a bad job at it too."

"Admit it, Messer," Flack interjected. "She did _way_ better than you expected."

"Yeah, Danny," Lindsay chimed in. "Bet you didn't know she had it in her."

Danny held up his hands. "Hey, you two ganging up on me now? Addison, a little help here," he implored, gesturing to the Lindsay and Flack, who were smirking at him.

Jordan burst out laughing. "It's alright, you guys. Leave him alone." She winked at Lindsay. "We got more cases to work on. Gives me more chances to shut this guy up," she replied, jerking her thumb in Danny's direction, with a cheeky smile of her own.

Lindsay smirked with pride at her friend's answer. "Yep. Just like I had many chances to prove him wrong." She laughed at Danny's affronted expression. "Admit it, Messer. You gave me a hard time because you thought I couldn't hack it."

Danny protested, "Hey, I repeat, I did NOT give you a hard time. I was just showing you the ropes."

"Yeah, the wrong ones," Lindsay pointed out.

Flack and Jordan couldn't stop laughing at the two of them.

Danny just glowered at them. "Well, haha, Flack. Don't you worry, buddy. I'll get you back someday. And Addison, you're one of us now, so you're fare game," he said, smirking in her direction.

Turning to Lindsay, Danny teased, "You! I cannot believe you took their side! You're supposed to be my partner!"

Lindsay just laughed at cuffed him on the arm. "Let's go then, partner and get back to our lab." She waved good-bye to Jordan and Flack, "We'll see you guys."

* * *

After Lindsay and Danny left, Flack turned to Jordan and said. "Well, after that, I think that we deserve a break. Wanna grab a bite to eat? I didn't get to eat breakfast so I'm kinda starving here." He wagged his eyebrows at her and made her laugh.

Jordan answered, "Well, I guess I can't let you get hungry, now can I? Last thing I need to worry about while hunting bad guys is my partner fainting from hunger."

"Hey! Do I look like the kind of guy who faints?" Flack pointed to himself. "I don't faint. I collapse, in a very manly way."

"Same banana, Don," Jordan teased. She tugged on his arm. "Now, c'mon! All the talk of food is making me hungry."

On their way out, Flack asked her, "Is it okay if we eat at the diner again? I've got a craving for Bernie's peach pie."

"I'm game. Their servings were big enough to fill me up, so that's always great," Jordan replied, shrugging on her coat.

"You know, I have never really met a woman who ate as much as you," Flack shook his head in amazement. "And I used to think Lindsay had a big appetite. You should have seen the expression on Danny's face when she ate with us for the first time. He looked like his eyes were going to pop out."

"You ain't seen noting yet, partner," Jordan retorted good-naturedly.

Flack laughed. Hell, this partner thing was turning out really well. _She's pretty and eats a lot. Wonder if she likes sports? Damn. If she liked sports, she'd be like the perfect woman._ Shaking his head, he followed his partner out the door.

* * *

Danny flipped his phone shut and turned to Lindsay. "So Mac gave us permission to take an early lunch since all we have to do is finish the paperwork on the Petersen case."

"Good, 'cause I was starving," Lindsay turned to him. "Where do you want to eat?"

"How about at the diner? Bernie's making peach pie today," Danny asked her.

"Sounds great. I've got a craving for pie today." Slipping on her sunglasses, she fell into step beside Danny as they walked to the nearby diner.

Danny automatically moved so that he was between her and the street. It was a gesture to keep her safe, and Lindsay's heart melted a little more at his unconscious act of chivalry. While crossing the street, he took her hand. _It always was a perfect fit, ever since that case at the doll hospital._ Lindsay mused. Sneaking a glance at Danny, who was concentrating on getting them to diner, she experimentally entwined her fingers in his. He glanced down at her in surprise and wordlessly tightened his grip on her hand.

They continued like that in companionable silence. This was one of the things Danny liked the most about Lindsay. Unlike most of the women he'd dated, she didn't have the incessant need to fill up the gaps in the conversation with mindless chatter. She knew when to talk and when to keep silent. Some women just yap away and he loved the fact that Lindsay wasn't like them.

They reached the diner in a few more minutes. Keeping their fingers laced together, Danny pulled the door open for Lindsay. She loved the fact that he did things like that for her. It was so at odds with his brash, hot-headed, street-smart personality. Even better, she knew that he did these things instinctively, because he wanted to treat her right.

On their way to a booth in the back, Danny suddenly stopped, causing Lindsay to bump against him. "What's wrong?" Lindsay asked, concerned.

Danny turned to face her, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Okay, look towards the back the diner, at one of the last booths."

Lindsay craned her neck to see over Danny's shoulder. "Oh my God! It's Flack and Jordan!" She took another look and let out a gasp. "And they're sitting _next_ to each other even though there's more than enough room in the booth!"

Danny nodded, laughing at her disbelief. "What did I tell you, Montana? I ain't completely stupid about people. I _told_ you Flack liked her."

Lindsay smiled at him, "And I bet you anything Jordan likes him back." She thought back. "Even when we were younger, she wasn't the type to let guys come physically close to her unless she liked him. But now, look at them. It's like they're surgically conjoined!"

Danny gave her a teasing grin, "So you want to crash their party?"

Lindsay caught his evil grin and responded with one of her own. "Well, I don't really see any other place where we can sit and I _am _pretty hungry." She tugged at his hand, "Let's go."

Danny sauntered up, pulling Lindsay behind him. "Well, lookee what we got here. It's Flack and Jordan!"

Flack and Jordan looked up simultaneously, surprised to see Danny and Lindsay smirking at them. They blushed and inched further apart, until Flack noticed that Danny was grasping Lindsay's hand. Flack leaned back in the booth and raised his eyebrows at Danny. Danny caught the unspoken question and shook his head slightly, answering Flack's question.

"Hey, Jordan," Lindsay piped up, smiling mischievously. "Mind if we share your booth?"

If it was possible, Jordan turned even redder as she answered, "Sure. There's more than enough room."

Lindsay laughed and said, "Yep, we noticed." She sat down, pulling Danny into the booth beside her. Flagging down a passing waitress, she and Danny placed their orders. After that, she turned back to Flack and Jordan and asked, "Are you guys finished or did you also just get here?"

Flack answered for the both of them. "Nah, we just got here. We need to go follow a lead a few blocks from here, so we decided to stop for lunch."

Danny nodded his head earnestly, pretending to believe what Flack said. "Uh-huh. Yeah, sure, Flack."

Flack shot his friend the death glare and turned his attention to the women, who were talking about how to fix Jordan's apartment.

A few minutes later, their food arrived. The meal was consumed along with a lot of jokes and laughter and time flew by much too quickly. After they finished eating, the girls excused themselves to go to the washroom, leaving Flack and Danny alone in the booth, resting contentedly after having two helpings each of Bernie's pie.

Danny tipped his head in the direction of the washroom. "What do you think they talk about in there?"

Flack shrugged. "Don't really know, Dan. I think it's one of those things men are never supposed to understand." He let out a burp, excusing himself.

Danny suddenly leaned forward to confront his best friend. "So Flack, spill." He waved his hand in the general direction of the women. "What's with you and your partner?"

Flack shifted uncomfortably in his seat and pretended not to understand Danny's question. "I don't know what you're talking about, Messer."

Danny snorted impatiently. "Cut the crap, Flack. I know you better than that. What's going on with you and Jordan? Do you like her or what?"

But Flack was a cop and he knew that to disarm somebody, you have to hit their sensitive spots. So he went for Danny's. "Speaking of partners, what's with you and Monroe? Are you guys together now?"

To his surprise, Danny actually stopped and mulled over the question. "I'm not so sure, Flack. We got to talk and clear things up a bit. She's more comfortable with me now, I guess," he answered, shrugging his shoulders.

Flack pressed on, "But are you guys together?"

Danny shrugged again. "Don't really know, man. I just follow her lead. I don't want to scare her off by moving too fast. So I'm just waiting to see where she's going with this."

Flack was astonished, not so much by Danny's answer, (he already knew that Danny would go to hell and back for Lindsay Monroe) but more from the fact that Danny answered his question. However, if Flack was a cop, then Danny was a detective and it was not in his nature to let his curiosity go unsatisfied. He turned the conversation back to where it started. He gestured to Flack, "Now that I've answered your question honestly, maybe you can answer mine. What's with you and Addison?"

Flack squirmed. He took a sip of his soda. He asked for the bill. He shifted in his seat. He checked his phone. And Danny was still looking at him, eyebrows raised expectantly for an answer.

Flack threw up his hands in defeat, "Alright! Jeez, Messer. No need to give me the third degree." He glared at Danny.

Danny smirked. "You still haven't answered my question, Flack. You like her, don't you?"

Flack heaved a sigh and growled, "Fine. Yes, I like her. Does that answer your question?"

Danny leaned back in the booth and smiled beatifically at his annoyed friend, "Sure does."

At that precise moment, the girls got back from the washroom to find Flack glaring at Danny and Danny smirking to himself as though he knew the world's greatest secret.

Jordan laid a hand on Flack's shoulder. "Don, are you okay?"

Flack stopped in mid-glare to smile at Jordan. "Yeah, I'm fine." He threw a dark glance in Danny's direction. "Messer's just being an ass, as usual."

That just made Danny laugh even harder, and made Lindsay look at him in confusion. He laughed harder at her expression and pulled her close to whisper in her ear, "I'll tell you on the way back."

Lindsay sat back, satisfied that she would know what it was about in a few minutes. She and Danny soon said their good-byes and headed back to the lab.

As promised, Danny told her about the conversation with Flack, leaving out the part about the two of them. When he finished, Lindsay was grinning with him.

As they came closer to the building, Lindsay pulled free from Danny's hand and looked at him uncertainly. He nodded reassuringly to let her know he understood and she let out a sigh of relief. She wasn't really sure exactly what she and Danny were. In the meantime, it was best to keep it to themselves until they figured it out. _Correction, until YOU figure it out, Monroe. _Right now, the people who even had an inkling were Flack and Jordan and she was sure Flack would keep it a secret, given the knowledge that Danny shared with her earlier. She smiled at him one last time as they parted ways.

* * *

In the break room of the lab, two people reached for the carafe in the coffeemaker at the same time. Problem was, there was only one cup left.

Hawkes and Cassie exclaimed at the same time, "Hey! That's mine!"

Hawkes tugged on the carafe. "Hey, I got here first."

Cassie tugged back. "Well, good for you, but this coffee is still mine."

Hawkes gritted his teeth at the annoying woman. He remembered his promise to Mac and tried to speak in the calmest voice possible. "Cassie, may I please have last cup of coffee?"

Cassie heard his polite tone, considered it for a moment, and said, "Nope. Sorry." She tugged the carafe free and poured the remaining contents into her cup. "Thanks, Doc."

Hawkes closed his eyes and counted slowly from one to ten. After he finished he was still angry. _Dammit._ He grabbed the now empty carafe and stomped over to the counter to make a fresh pot. He plopped down on one of the sofas and drummed his fingers impatiently.

At that moment, Stella walked into the break room, saw that the coffee maker was still brewing and took a seat next to Hawkes. She noticed that his face was drawn together in a frown and his fingers were creating an invisible tattoo on the sofa from the continuous drumming.

Stella looked at him, concerned. "Everything okay, Hawkes? You look pissed."

Hawkes let out a another annoyed huff and said, "Wouldn't you be annoyed if someone grabbed the last cup of coffee even though you asked nicely if you could have it?"

Stella smothered her laugh. "I see. And who might this person be?"

Hawkes slid her a glance and answered. "Cassie."

With that remark, Stella couldn't hold it back and she burst out laughing. "Did you guys fight _again_?"

Hawkes looked at her in disbelief and said, "No, I did not! Do I look like the type to pick a fight with a woman?" He held up his hand before Stella could answer. "Never mind, don't answer that."

Stella's laughing eventually subsided and they sat in silence for a few more minutes. She tentatively reached out to touch Hawkes' shoulder and asked, "Hawkes, can I ask you something?"

By now, Hawkes' mood had evened out and he even smiled at Stella. "Sure, Stel. What's up?"

Stella bit her lip and went for it. "Why does Cassie makes you so angry?"

Instead of being angry, Hawkes looked thoughtful as he tried to come up with a good answer. "You know what, Stel, I don't really know. She can just be so annoying."

Stella pointed out, "She was perfectly nice last night."

Hawkes shot back, "Yeah, she was. To _you _and to _Pino_." He snorted Marty's name out.

_Bingo! _Stella thought. Then she asked Hawkes again. "Okay, so she wasn't so accommodating with you. Can't you think of something nice about her?"

Hawkes was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "Nope."

Stella bit back more laughter and tried to direct his thoughts. "C'mon, Hawkes. Not even one thing that you like about her? Not even… physically?" she ventured tentatively.

Hawkes thought to himself and begrudgingly admitted, "I guess she is pretty good-looking. Bu that's all I know about her, except that she likes to pick fights with me."

Stella sighed and answered. "Well, the Sheldon Hawkes I know would never randomly react. Why don't you try being actively nice to her? And by active I mean genuinely," she finished, glaring at Hawkes threateningly.

Hawkes ran his hand over the back of his neck. There was no use arguing with Stella when she was like this. "Alright, Stel. I'll give it a shot for you."

Stella smiled indulgently. For now, she had gotten what she wanted. "Good. Thanks, Hawkes." She skipped over to the coffee maker, which had just finished brewing the coffee, made herself a cup, waved good-bye to Hawkes and went back to what it was that she was working on.

Hawkes thought to himself, _Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to try._ Following Stella's example, he crossed over to the coffee maker, made himself a cup o coffee and went back to what it was that he was working on.

* * *

After returning some boxes to the Evidence Room, Lindsay returned to her desk to find a note from Danny waiting for her, along with a brown paper bag.

_Hey, Montana. Got called to a scene in Brooklyn. Might not make it back to the lab until after shift. Just reminding you to stay safe ok? Let me know when you get home? Love, Danny._

Lindsay heaved a disappointed sigh. She wasn't going to get to see him until the next morning. She was tempted to open his gift but a part of her wanted to be alone when she did it. This was something between her and Danny and she wasn't quite ready to share yet.

She glanced at the clock. Five-fifteen: Forty-five more minutes and she could make her way home. She decided to put the time to good use and finish the paperwork for the Petersen case. She plopped down in her chair and grabbed the forms.

Exactly forty-five minutes later, she stretched out the kinks in her back and closed the files. This could wait.

She picked up the brown paper bag and grabbed her purse and coat from the locker room and was soon on the subway home.

As soon as she entered her apartment, she locked the door, tossed her keys on the counter and dropped down onto her couch to open the brown paper bag.

Inside was a small, stuffed spider with a bright pink body and neon green legs. She laughed and gave it a squeeze, reaching into the bag once more to pull out another CD. Tucked with the CD was a note. _I guess you know what to do with this._

She got up to put the disc in her player and sat back down to listen to the song. Once again, the song surprised her. Danny never struck her as the type to listen to R&B, but he chose a soft, bluesy song with the sweetest words.

_I can't buy you fancy rings or all the expensive things you're used to, baby  
No trips around the world, no diamonds or pearls to give to you, baby  
But what I've got to give is more precious than you'll ever know  
My deepest in feelings, my heart and soul _

_Cause all that I am is a man in love with you  
Cause all that I am is a man whose heart is true  
A man in love with you _

_Girl I know you know I'm blind  
Cause when I look into your eyes you meet me halfway  
Just accept me as I am try to understand that I want you always  
Just give me the chance and I'll show you the world, my love _

_Cause all that I am is a man in love with you  
Cause all that I am is a man whose heart is true  
A man in love with you  
_

_Deny it all you want  
I know you have your doubts about me  
Just put them all aside and follow where your heart leads  
_

_Cause all that I am is a man who loves you  
All that I am is a man whose heart is true  
Cause all that I am  
A man in love with you _

As the music faded, Lindsay was lost in her thoughts. This was Danny's unspoken plea and pledge. She closed her eyes and buried her face in her hands. She couldn't do it. She couldn't do it anymore. She couldn't keep pushing Danny away.

_I can't live like this anymore. Danny deserves better than this. He deserves a woman who is brave enough to love him. Not me, not this weak, scared soul who doesn't deserve his love. He needs to be with someone who can match his courage. Danny's been through so much yet he's so willing to risk it all to love. To love me. _

Stiffening her shoulders, Lindsay stared out in the lights of New York City, Danny's city and made a decision. Danny should be with a woman that was better than what she was right now and Lindsay knew this much: she would make sure that Danny got to be with the woman he deserved, a woman who is worthy of his love.

* * *

That's it for today. I'm leaving a cliff hanger. :D Watch out for Lindsay's decision in the next chapter. I'll try to put more Hawkes and Cassie in the next chapter and some parts about moving day with Danny, Lindsay, Flack and Jordan. I'm still working on Hawkes and Cassie. Let me know what you think. This is the longest chapter yet. :D I hope you liked it. :D

P.S. Today's sweet song was by Joe, and the title is "All That I Am".


	7. The One With Danny's Early Birthday Gift

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the show.

Sorry about the cliffhanger. :D Don't worry, it gets resolved in this chapter. I'm going to have the couples come together one by one. :D I'm still figuring out what to do with Hawkes and Cassie and how they're going to come together. Hope you guys enjoy this one:D

* * *

The next day, Danny and Lindsay were put on separate cases. Mac put him on the same case that made him go dumpster diving yesterday. As he processed the scene, his mind wandered. _Wonder where Montana is?_ He had arrived at work that morning earlier than usual, and he opened his locker half expecting something from Lindsay to be waiting for him. To his disappointment, his locker held nothing but his extra set of clothes and toiletries.

Sighing, Danny grumbled to himself. _Well, what did you expect, Messer? How can she leave anything for you if she's not even here yet?_

He was soon pulled out of his musings by the ringing of the phone attached to his waist. The caller ID read, "Mac". He flipped his phone open and answered the call, "Yeah, Mac, what's up?"

Tucking the phone between his ear and shoulder, he stuffed his things in the locker and nodded to himself. "Yep. Got it. I'm on my way." He disconnected the call and let out another sigh. _I guess I'll just have to wait till later to see her._

He slammed his locker door shut and headed out to meet Mac.

* * *

Lindsay walked into the lab, half afraid that Danny might be there. She wanted to avoid him until they could seriously talk. _I don't think I'll be able to face him and talk to him normally until we settle this. _She let out a frustrated growl and sat at her desk. _Tonight, I guess._

As she turned the chair, she noticed the brown paper bag sitting on her desk. Despite her morose thoughts, she was unable to hold back her smile as she saw it.

Lindsay reached for the bag. Inside was a sandwich from her favorite deli. Along with it was a small note. She pulled it out of the envelope. _My turn to bring you breakfast, Montana. Go to the break room. _Wondering what was waiting for her in the break room, she wandered off, holding the sandwich and the note in her hand.

She found the break room empty. Then she looked around and saw something that made another smile break across her face.

On the counter of the break room, sat a steaming latte from Starbucks. It was marked with a bright yellow post-it that said "Montana" in Danny's messy scrawl.

She quickly crossed the room and picked up the cup. Under it was another envelope. She shook her head to herself, amazed at Danny's thoughtfulness and read her second note for the day. _Just wanted to make sure you got breakfast. Take care of yourself ok? Maybe we can meet for lunch? I miss you. Love, Danny_

Lindsay's lips curved softly. He really was the sweetest guy in the world. _Only with you, Lindsay, _the voice in her head reminded her. Not that Danny wasn't a sweet guy by nature. Despite the fact that he couldn't seem to commit to anybody, he generally treated women well. But only with Lindsay was he thoughtful in that special way, taking care of her without smothering her, leaving things that weren't clichéd, things that only she would like and understand. That's how she knew it was sincere: because it wasn't scripted.

_We really do have to talk._ She sipped her latte as she walked away, savoring the sweet warmth.

At noon, Danny headed back to the lab. He was hoping Lindsay would be there. He hadn't heard from her all morning and Mac had kept him too busy to even send her a message. But as he searched the lab, he found himself disappointed again.

When he nonchalantly asked Stella if she saw Lindsay, he swore he could see a smirk lighting her face as she answered and told him that she was at a scene. Danny avoided her eyes, thanked her and walked away. Guess he'd have to wait a while longer to see Lindsay again.

As he entered the office he shared with Lindsay, his eyes fell upon the calendar that hung o their wall. Surprised, he checked the date again. _Wow, time really flies by._ He hadn't even noticed that his birthday was the next day.

He also remembered that week's schedule. It just so happened that tomorrow was also his day off for the week. _Wonder if she's off tomorrow. Maybe she'd spend the day with me. _

Glancing at his watch, he noted that it was now close to lunchtime. Just then, he noticed the small, folded piece of paper under his pen holder. His heart lifted as he saw the neat handwriting on the note.

_Hey, Messer. Go to the break room. – Montana_

Danny lunged out of the chair, striding eagerly to the break room, hoping, wishing, and praying that Lindsay would be there.

He skidded to a stop just before he slammed his face in the glass door in his eagerness to see if she was waiting for him. _Damn. This is becoming a really disappointing day._ She wasn't inside.

He wandered around the break room, wondering what he was supposed to find and saw the white take-out bag. It was simply labeled "Danny".

Chuckling to himself, Danny opened the bag to find his favorite Chinese take-out. Inside the bag was another note, similar to the one he left for her this morning.

_Wouldn't want my partner to go hungry. Take care of yourself okay? Thanks for breakfast. – Montana_

Danny flopped back down on the couch, the take-out bag in his hand. He snapped the chopsticks apart and started eating the lunch Lindsay bought him. That was how Stella, Flack and Jordan found him when they walked in the break room a few minutes later.

All three immediately took in Danny's goofy grin as he stuffed himself with beef sautéed in oyster sauce. He smiled brightly at them and waved with his chopsticks and continued eating.

Flack immediately started ribbing him about his cheery mood. Glancing around the break room, he asked Danny, "Well, I don't see Monroe around, so why're you grinning like an idiot, Messer?"

Danny widened his eyes and mock innocence as he swallowed. "What makes you think that Montana is the reason why I'm smiling?"

All three had identical smirks on their faces. Flack glanced at the two women and inquired, "Any of you ladies want to answer Messer's incredibly stupid question or do you want me to take this one?"

To everybody's surprise, Jordan raised her hand mischievously and replied, "No, it's okay, Don. I got it." She plopped down beside Danny on the couch, pulled her leg underneath her to face the happy man eating Chinese take-out and answered his question.

"See, Messer, I know I haven't been here long, but I'm going to take a shot and say, uh…" she furrowed her brow, pretending to think deeply. She snapped her fingers and said, "It's cause you like her!" with a firm nod of her head.

Again, Danny widened his eyes and aimed to make his expression as clueless and naïve as he could. "What? Can't a guy be happy cause he's eating a great meal?"

Jordan grabbed the bag and started looking at it. "Alright, let's examine the evidence. Detectives, may I?" she inquired, raising her eyebrow in Flack and Stella's direction, waiting for their permission to proceed. Flack waved his hand to encourage her to continue and Stella crossed her arms, grinning as she waited to see how Jordan would play this.

"Let's see," she mused, looking at the bag from different angles. Zooming in on the address, she let out a triumphant, "Aha!" and turned the bag towards Danny, pointing her finger at the address. "Let's see now, this take-out meal came from Chang's Restaurant. See, that name sounds familiar, Don. It's near that place… What's that place again?" she asked her partner, her pseudo-innocent smile matching Danny's.

Flack smothered a laugh and played along. "Lemme see. Yeah, I know that place. It's near…" he let out a fake gasp. "It's near Monroe's apartment! No, no no, wait! It's on the exact same block as Monroe's apartment!"

"Right you are, Detective Flack!" Jordan praised him.

Danny protested, "What does that have to do with anything? It could just be a coincidence. I could have stopped by that place on the way to work and grabbed myself some take-out. Or I could have had it delivered."

Flack snorted. "Come off it, Danny. Your apartment is across town from that Chinese place. And I know for a fact that you only eat there when you're with Lindsay."

Jordan chimed in again. "All things considered, it can only be either one of two things: A, You came from across town from Lindsay's apartment and bought yourself take out on the way back. Or it could be B, Lindsay brought you take out lunch. Either way, it boils down to Lindsay." She patted Danny on the shoulder, put the bag back down on the couch and got up to stand next to Flack, crossing her arms and smirking at him.

Flack grinned proudly at the way Jordan caused Danny to splutter and choke. Stella, for her part, couldn't stop laughing at the incredulous expression on Danny's face and the way Jordan drew out her conclusion. _Boy, these Montana girls are going to give my New York boys a run for their money._

She didn't miss the way Flack looked down at Jordan, at the subtle way his eyes softened as he took in her smile. She also didn't miss the way she would instinctively move closer to him. Stella was sure they liked each other and hoped they would be less obtuse than Danny and Lindsay when it came to admitting their feelings. She would just have to wait and see.

Stella pulled herself out of her thoughts and rejoined the conversation, laughing with Flack and Jordan as they teased Danny some more. She kept silent, and chose to watch, simply because she already knew Lindsay had bought the take-out for Danny. Stella caught her trying to smuggle the bag in the break room and leave quickly.

_Looks like everything's on track then_, she thought to herself, smiling at the three detectives.

* * *

Hawkes was dreading going to the Trace Lab. He'd been stalling all day, making different excuses as to why he can put off getting his results. When Mac came by his office asked him for the fifth time about the mysterious substance they found on the vic's hands, he tried to come up with a good reason why he still didn't have it. He sure as hell wasn't going to admit to Mac Taylor that he was avoiding the new Trace Lab Analyst.

In a gesture of defeat, Hawkes rubbed the back of his neck and told Mac he was on his way to the Trace Lab to get the results.

Mac answered, "Good. I've been waiting for that the whole day. I wonder what took Adam and Cassie so long with it." He looked at Hawkes with his I-see-everything eyes and made Hawkes shift uncomfortably in his seat. Reluctantly, he got off his butt and resigned himself to the fact that he was about to face Cassie again.

It's not that he didn't want to see her. It's just that he remembered the promise he made Stella that he'd be nicer to Cassie. TBut tinking logically, he knew that there was a lot of sense in not engaging in an office war with the people who ran the Trace Lab.

He trudged off to the Trace Lab, half hoping that Adam would be the one to hand him his results. Since the entire office was mostly made of glass, he immediately saw that Cassie was bent over a microscope, working by herself in the lab. Hawkes looked up at the sky and silently asked the heavens, _Do you really hate me so much?_

Pushing the door open, he waited for Cassie to look up. _Nope, no such luck. _Looks like he'd have to be the one to make the first move.

"Hey Cassie," Hawkes said tentatively.

Cassie looked up from the sample she was looking at and saw Hawkes standing in the doorway, hands in his pockets. He had a small smile on his face and was looking at her expectantly.

"Hey, Doc," she answered back, pushing away from the table. "What can I do for you today?"

"Um, I came by for the Trace sample I left here yesterday. It was a gel substance that was found on the body dump in Queens. Mac needs the results," Hawkes answered neutrally, trying to gauge her mood.

"Yeah, I got it right here. I paged you hours ago so I could give it to you. I've been done with it since this morning." she replied, getting up to grab a printout from a desk in the corner of the Trace Lab and handing it to him.

"Thanks," Hawkes smiled at her.

Cassie found herself responding automatically to his kind smile. _Now I know why people call him the good doctor. He's got that nice guy aura about him. _She finally got why one other lab tech referred to Hawkes as a "younger, hotter, male version of Mother Teresa". She replied, "No problem, Doc," still smiling at him.

On his part, Hawkes found out that he liked it when she smiled. Correction, he liked it when she smiled _at him_. She really was pretty. He found himself studying Cassie and he liked what he saw. _She's cute. _He found himself noticing how attractive she was. _Big brown eyes, curly hair, nice lips, nice smile, nice body. Nice._ Hawkes was surprised at the direction of his thoughts and shook his head. He thanked Cassie again and moved to the door.

As Hawkes walked out of the lab, Cassie went back to her microscope. A few seconds later, the door opened again and Hawkes was inside the lab. He stood in front of her and his hands were inside his back pockets, making him look like a young schoolboy.

He said, "Hey, Cassie. I, um… I wanted to apologize about the other day. I really didn't mean to yell at you," he shook his head ruefully. "I actually don't know what happened."

Again, Cassie found herself responding to the kindness that radiated from Doctor Sheldon Hawkes. Seeing as how he was being so nice, she said her apologies as well. "I'm sorry too. I know I'm a bit reactive sometimes. Trust me, I'm working on that." Flashing a bright smile at him, she extended her hand. "Truce?"

Hawkes smiled back and reached out to shake her hand. "Truce."

For a moment, they stood there, smiling at each other, holding each other's hand firmly. Then they gave each other one more shake and Hawkes let go of her hand. He smiled at her one last time and walked out of the lab.

* * *

When Hawkes got back to his office, he pondered on the moment in the Trace Lab. Actually, he thought about the pretty girl in the Trace Lab.

_Stella's right. She is pretty. She's smart, too. It's always a plus to find a pretty girl who has a brain. _Hawkes thought to himself.

Meanwhile, back at the lab, Cassie was having thoughts of her own about Hawkes. She remembered the moment when they shook hands.

Hawkes' hand had been warm around hers, holding it firmly, but not too tightly. She also appreciated the fact that she didn't have to get a crick in her neck just to look at his face. The fact that she was so tiny was a problem when she dated. More often than not, she wished she could find a guy who didn't tower over her.

She realized right then and there that Hawkes was the right size: big enough to make her feel safe, but not too big to make her feel insignificant.

Separated by several rooms and hallways, Hawkes and Cassie both smiled at the same time, happy that the battle of wits had ended.

However, neither could ignore the lingering thoughts in their heads. Hawkes thought about Cassie and Cassie thought about Hawkes.

* * *

By the time the day ended, Danny still hadn't seen Lindsay. He was worried, annoyed, frustrated, antsy and hopeful all at once. It wasn't a good feeling. He had sent her messages but she hadn't responded. He thought about calling her, but he was afraid that she'd feel closed in and react by backing off. Nope. That was the one thing he did NOT want Lindsay Monroe to do at this point. He sensed that he was getting close, that Lindsay was slowly beginning to trust him.

Still it did not stop him from growling in frustration. _Where the hell is she and why isn't she replying to my messages?_ Danny took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. _Calm down, Messer. Stella told you she's on a case. She's probably just busy. _Smiling ruefully to himself at that thought, he realized that the fates had turned on him. Danny Messer, couldn't stay still because a woman hadn't replied to his messages.

Taking another deep breath, Danny straightened up his desk and walked to the locker room. To his surprise, he found a brown paper bag inside his locker. For some reason, he looked around the locker room to see if Lindsay was there. _Of course she isn't here, _Danny chided himself at his foolishness and reached for the bag.

Inside was a mini CD, similar to the ones he had given her. Accompanying the CD was a note, again written in Lindsay's neat script. _Danny, don't play this until you get home, okay? Love, Montana_

Danny reread the note again, confused. He was half tempted to run back to the lab and play it on his computer, but some inner voice told him to do as he was asked and go home. He stared at the note for another long moment. Something was off. As he pulled the rest of his things out of his locker and got ready to go home, he tried to pin down what was so different from the other notes that Lindsay left him.

He sat for a moment on a bench in the locker room. Letting his eyes lose focus as he stared on a blank spot in the wall, he thought about the note. He stayed there for a few minutes, just thinking.

Then it hit him. He pulled the note out of the bag again and reread it.

He smiled.

She signed it, _Love, Montana_.

Although he warned himself not to read too much into it, Danny's heart was beating triple time. He hoped with all his might that it meant something. _I know she cares about me. I'm sure she does, _he told himself fiercely. He didn't really know how he knew, but he knew with a bone-deep certainty that Lindsay cared about him very much.

Smiling softly to himself, he headed home.

* * *

Lindsay stood across the street from Danny's apartment building, a small white bag in her hand. She had been bouncing on the balls of her feet, impatiently scanning the streets and keeping one eye on the door of the building. Danny still hadn't arrived.

_What could be keeping him? I figured he'd go straight home. _She glanced at the watch she wore on her wrist. Six-thirty. She knew Danny always got home around this time. She had been here for fifteen minutes, just in case he got home earlier than usual.

She stayed in a place where she could keep an eye on the door and stay out of sight. She did not want Danny to see her. She trained her eyes on the door, until a familiar sandy blond head pushed away from the throng of people. Her breath caught in her throat and her heartbeat escalated. She watched him enter the building and took a deep breath. _Ten more minutes, Monroe._

* * *

Danny whistled to himself as he entered his apartment. Although the subway was jampacked, he had gotten home a little earlier than he expected, particularly since he walked quickly tonight, impatient to get home and find out what was on the mysterious CD.

He hung his key on a hook near the kitchen light and dumped his mail on the counter. He shrugged out of his coat and crossed to his CD player. He popped in the CD and waited impatiently for it to start playing.

_Love once left me cold and gray  
I had almost reached heaven just to feel it slip away  
But life's too short to waste away being scared to take chances  
Or so I heard wise men say_

_I wanna be loved faithful and true  
I wanna be loved 10 billion lifetimes with you  
I wanna be loved and after all I've been through  
I'll let my heart take its chances just to be loved by you_

_Taste, touch, hear, see, feel me now  
And you'll know I'm so ready to exchange lifelong vows, yes i am  
Cause now you've shown me how God has smiled  
On this chance and this moment, for this I've prayed all my life_

_I wanna be loved faithful and true  
I wanna be loved 10 billion lifetimes with you  
I wanna be loved and after all I've been through  
I'll let my heart take its chances just to be loved by you_

_I wanna feel there's a reason for living again  
I want us to fly far away  
And i want my heart to sing the words only you can understand  
So put your hand in mine, say a prayer tonight  
So that we might find love_

_I wanna be loved faithful and true  
I wanna be loved 10 billion lifetimes with you  
I wanna be loved and after all I've been through  
I'll let my heart take its chances just to be loved by you_

By the time the last strains of music ended, Danny's heart was beating so fast it threatened to knock out of his chest. Was this Lindsay's answer to his question?

Distracted from his thoughts by the buzzing of his door, Danny tried to calm himself down. After he got rid of the person at his door, he was going to go across town and see his Montana.

Danny flung the door open to find Lindsay standing there, looking unbelievably beautiful in his eyes. She stood there, smiling uncertainly, holding a chocolate cupcake with white frosting. On top of the cupcake was a single candle. "I wanted to be the first to say happy birthday, Danny," she said softly, holding out the cupcake towards him.

Smiling crookedly, Danny swiped a bit of the frosting. His heart was still on overdrive, but he tried to play it cool. "You remembered."

Lindsay smiled at him again. "Make a wish," she invited.

Looking deeply into her eyes for a long moment, Danny stood there silently. After a few seconds, he blew on the candle.

"So where's my gift?" he inquired, gazing at Lindsay.

She stood there silently, taking a deep breath. Then she raised her brown eyes to meet his blue ones and said softly, "Me."

Danny's smile threatened to rip his face apart as he reached out for her and wrapped her in his arms. She clung to him tightly as he pulled her inside and hugged her for one long moment. Then he pulled his head back and tipped her chin up and placed his lips on hers.

The kiss was everything Lindsay dreamed it would be. It was fireworks and stars, waves crashing on the shore, bells tolling and all. She hugged Danny tightly and kissed him back, finally finding in Danny's arms a place in New York that she could genuinely call home.

* * *

This chapter's song was "I Wanna Be Loved" by Eric Benet. I hope you guys liked it. I hope to TPTB that there's D/L in this week's episode. I really miss them. I'm sorry if there wasn't equal attention among the three couples. I figured if Danny and Lindsay got their "are we or aren't we" tango out of the way, they can concentrate on getting Jordan and Flack and Hawkes and Cassie together.

The next one will have Moving Day, but this time, Danny and Lindsay will be an official couple, so yay:D

Let me know what you guys think ok? Your reviews mean a lot. :D


	8. The One With the Morning After

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the show.

This is the morning after. I think Moving Day will be in the next chapter. This chapter is very D/L-centered. I hope you like it:D Don't forget to review. :D

* * *

Sunlight streamed through the window of Danny Messer's apartment. He squinted at the brightness and waited patiently for his eyes to focus. It was a habit familiar to any person who needed glasses to see the world clearly.

As he lay there, he heard a small snuffling sound from beside him. Looking down, he saw a mop of brown curls on top of his arm.

Memories of the previous night came flooding back, curving his lips in a smile. He sent a silent prayer of gratitude upwards and let the memories take him.

_Danny flung the door open to find Lindsay standing there, looking unbelievably beautiful in his eyes. She stood there, smiling uncertainly, holding a chocolate cupcake with white frosting. On top of the cupcake was a single candle. "I wanted to be the first to say happy birthday, Danny," she said softly, holding out the cupcake towards him. _

_Smiling crookedly, Danny swiped a bit of the frosting. His heart was still on overdrive, but he tried to play it cool. "You remembered." _

_Lindsay smiled at him again. "Make a wish," she invited._

_Looking deeply into her eyes for a long moment, Danny stood there silently. After a few seconds, he blew on the candle. _

"_So where's my gift?" he inquired, gazing at Lindsay._

_She stood there silently, taking a deep breath. Then she raised her brown eyes to meet his blue ones and said softly, "Me."_

_Danny's smile threatened to rip his face apart as he reached out for her and wrapped her in his arms. She clung to him tightly as he pulled her inside and hugged her for one long moment. Then he pulled his head back and tipped her chin up and placed his lips on hers._

Lindsay shifted again and burrowed closer to his side. He gazed down at her sleeping face and felt his throat tighten. He really was the luckiest man in the world.

As though sensing his eyes on her, Lindsay sleepily opened her eyes. She was greeted by an unfamiliar, though not unwelcome sight. Danny was gazing down at her, his heart in his eyes.

"Morning, Montana," he whispered, bumping his forehead lightly to hers.

"Morning," she whispered back. She smothered a yawn and snuggled deeper into Danny's warmth. "You feel nice in the morning. But then again you feel nice at night. Okay scratch that, you feel nice period," she murmured. She felt, as much as heard his chuckle. She turned over, pulling his arm tightly so that they were spooned together, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist.

After a moment, she said, "Danny?"

"Yeah," Danny mumbled, his face buried in her hair.

"I thought you didn't cuddle," Lindsay remarked, enjoying the feeling of his bare skin against hers.

Behind her, Danny grinned and replied, "Only for you, Montana. But don't go telling people that. Flack will never let me live it down." Lindsay laughed as he placed a soft kiss on her bare shoulder.

Lindsay turned around again to face him. She gazed at him in a moment, questions in her eyes. But she was afraid of voicing them out, afraid of ruining the cozy moment with practical questions.

Danny sensed what she needed from him. "Okay, Montana. I hear you loud and clear." He pulled her close so that she could rest her head on his chest and pushed a pillow more firmly behind his head. "We need to talk details here."

Lindsay's fingers traced small, random patterns on Danny's chest, tangling with his dog tags. A few seconds later, Danny grabbed her hand and held on to it so that he wouldn't get distracted. She settled for listening to his strong heartbeat instead.

"Do you want to tell people about this?" Danny asked, linking his fingers with hers.

Lindsay remained silent for a moment. Then tilted her head upwards to meet his eyes and said quietly, "What is this, Danny? I'm not so sure either."

In the past, when women asked this question, Danny usually found the nearest exit and bolted. But with Lindsay, he was hesitant and unsure, because he wanted a relationship: daily kisses and dates and petty arguments and making up and laughing - - he wanted the whole relationship enchilada, but only if Lindsay was willing.

He wasn't so sure how to ask her about that, but then he figured that she had always appreciated his straightforwardness in the past. There was no use tiptoeing around this. He answered just as quietly, "I want a relationship with you, Montana."

Looking straight into her eyes, he went on, "I want to be able to hold your hand in public without people asking questions. I want everyone to know that you belong to me and that I belong to you. I want to laugh with you and hold you and protect you and keep you safe and I want to know that I'm the only man in the world who has the right to do that. Most of all I want you." He stroked her cheek lightly. "But if you're not ready for that then tell me and maybe we could work something out."

Lindsay was overwhelmed by the sincerity she heard in Danny's voice. _Is this really happening?_ she wondered. Was she about to seriously commit herself to a relationship with Danny Messer? And was he about to do the same with her?

Two nights ago, she stood staring out in the New York skyline and thought of Danny. No matter what, whenever she would see the New York skyline, she would always think of Danny because New York was his city. She fought back every fear she had and told herself that Danny deserved nothing less than a woman who was brave enough to love him back, despite all the risks. That night, she made a decision to be that woman, the woman for Danny.

She let a smile curl around the corners of her mouth. She lifted a hand to stroke the rough stubble on Danny's cheek and said, "I'm ready when you are."

Danny felt a huge smile stretch over his face. He pulled Lindsay closer and kissed her, savoring the warmth of her body against his. For long minutes, they lay there, holding each other, lazily touching and kissing.

Then Danny spoke, "So, Montana. You haven't answered my question. Do you want to tell the people at the lab?"

Pursing her lips thoughtfully, Lindsay considered the question. "We should probably tell Mac. I mean, since he's our boss and all. But the entire team's pretty much waiting for this. But then again, I don't really want to make it a big deal for everyone. I mean for us, it's a big deal, but we're pretty special," she teased. "So, the long and short is, we'll tell Mac, but as for the rest of the team, what do you suggest?"

Danny laughed. "Are you always this confusing in the morning?"

Lindsay smirked, "You interested in finding out?"

Danny's eyes widened in surprise, but he recovered quickly by planting a resounding kiss on her lips. "Looking forward to it, actually."

When they pulled back, the topic returned to the unanswered question. "Well," Lindsay suggested, "they are CSIs. I mean, they'd figure it out on their own. I vote that we tell Mac and just act normally around the others and when they ask, we'll tell them."

Danny raised his eyebrows, "Normally? As in like a normal couple? Like I can grab you in front of them?" He liked this idea a lot and she could see it in his eyes.

Lindsay guessed the direction of his thoughts and laughed. "Well, we better keep the PDA to a minimum, 'cause I don't think Mac will allow it. He won't have a problem with us being together as long as we keep it out of the lab. But I guess yeah, we should stop sneaking around."

Danny considered that, "I guess you're right. I'd like that, actually." He pulled her close and buried his face in her neck, inhaling her scent. "So what do you want to do on our day off?"

Lindsay thought for a moment. She forgot something. It's hard to remember things when a gorgeous man was making your body feel impossibly good. "Didn't we volunteer to help Jordan move in today?"

Danny groaned, "Damn. I was hoping you'd forget."

Before Lindsay could answer, Danny's phone rang. He checked the caller ID and groaned again, "Dammit! It's Flack." Flipping the phone open, he growled, "What?"

From the other end of the line, Flack's sardonic voice came through, "Well, aren't you a bright ray of sunshine?"

Danny feigned ignorance, "What do you want, Flack?" Beside him, Lindsay whispered, "You know perfectly well what he wants." She giggled as Danny scowled at her and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Get your lazy ass out of bed, Messer. You promised to help Jordan move in today," Flack commanded.

Danny rubbed his hand lightly across Lindsay's back as he clarified for his best friend, "No, Flack. _You _volunteered to help Jordan move in and roped me along because _you_ wanted to spend time with her because _you like her!_"

Flack's only response to that was, "Just get your ass here. I'll send you the address." Then he disconnected the call.

Lindsay looked up at him, "What did Flack say?"

Danny grinned at her, "He didn't deny it."

They both started laughing.

Lindsay got up from the bed and made her way towards the shower. Danny protested while admiring the view. "C'mon, Montana," he whined. "We don't _have_ to be there. Let's just spend the day here and leave those two lovebirds alone."

Lindsay laughed, pulling on the shirt Danny discarded from the previous night. "Don't you want to see Flack make an ass out of himself trying to impress Jordan?"

Danny considered this for a moment. "Yeah, I do, but not this early. Come back to bed, please?" he cajoled, flashing his bone-melting smile.

Lindsay was tempted, but she said, "Sorry, Messer, I have to take a shower. I still have to go back to my apartment to change." She shot a teasing glance, "You could help me so that I'd finish faster, but I'm guessing you'd rather stay in bed."

She quickly went inside the bathroom and closed the door, but not before she saw Danny leap out of bed with the sheets tangled around him. He landed in a sorry heap on the floor and she heard him cursing.

Less than a minute later, Danny stuck his head in the shower and said, "Oh, there you are. I was looking for you," and he crammed his body in the small stall with hers. As she laughed, he asked, "What are you waiting for Montana? I thought you wanted to take a shower. Well I'm here, and you're here, so let's take a shower," with the most devilish grin on his face.

* * *

Just a little fluffy moment to indulge the D/L shippers like me. We've been too deprived of D/L sweetness in the past few weeks. For those who aren't… Well, I did warn you that this would be a D/L chapter. :D I hope this was a good read for you. Watch out for Moving Day in the next chapter. :D Thanks again to those who reviewed. :D 


	9. The One With Jordan's Apartment

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the show.

It's Moving Day! Danny and Lindsay make their first appearance as a couple.

* * *

Lindsay could not believe that they spent two hours in the shower. _That was probably the best two hours of my life,_ she recalled, smiling saucily.

She was toweling herself off and watching Danny at the same time. He stood in front of his closet looking for a shirt. For a moment, she gazed at him, admiring his sculpted back and strong shoulders. She let out a dreamy sigh, threading her hand through her wet curls. A warm glow started in the region of her heart and traveled through the rest of her body. _I have got to be the luckiest woman in the world,_ she mused.

Danny's muffled voice came from within the closet. "Like what you see, Montana?"

Lindsay laughed and walked over to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, placed a kiss on his bare back and answered, "Definitely." She squeezed her arms tight around him and started getting dressed.

Picking up the clothes they threw around in their haste to get at each other, she reminded Danny, "You have to hurry up. Flack called us two hours ago. It's a miracle he hasn't called to ask you where you were."

Danny snorted, "If I'm right, he's probably enjoying being alone with Jordan. He hates moving furniture. He only volunteered cause he wanted to spend more time with her. When you moved in, I don't remember him volunteering to help out."

Lindsay considered that, "I guess you're right. But you still have to hurry up cause I have to stop by my apartment before going to Jordan's. I need to change."

Danny chuckled and pointed out, "I don't know why you're on my case, Linds. See, the way I see it, I'm dressed and you're not," he explained, gesturing to himself and then to her.

Lindsay blinked and realized he was right. He was standing there, casually dressed in jeans and a tank top covered with a blue shirt, while she stood gaping at him like an idiot, clad only in her underwear.

"Not that I mind," he said, walking over to her. He hugged her and placed a kiss on her shoulder. He really loved doing that. She noticed that he did that many times last night and this morning.

She leaned into him for a moment and smiled contentedly. She couldn't recall ever being this happy. It's been a long time since she felt like this: free and safe, cherished and protected. After spilling her secrets to Danny, she felt lighter, having released a huge burden from her heart, leaving only room for Danny.

They stood there like that: totally at peace with themselves and the world. Then Danny did the most unexpected thing: he swooped down and carried her to his couch.

Lindsay squealed in surprised and clung to him. "Danny! What're you doing?"

Danny just grinned at her and fell back on the couch, arranging their bodies so that she was cuddled on his lap and wrapped in his arms. Then he proceeded to kiss her senseless.

After a few minutes, they acknowledged their biological need for air and pulled apart. Lindsay breathed deeply in contentment, her arms wrapped around Danny's neck, playing with the sensitive skin at the nape of his neck.

She smiled at him and asked, "Not that I mind, Messer, but what was that for?"

Danny widened his eyes in mock innocence and answered, "What? Can't a guy make out with his girlfriend for no reason?"

Lindsay's heart warmed at the thought of being Danny Messer's girlfriend. She shrugged at his answer and then proceeded to kiss _him_ senseless.

When they again pulled back for air, Danny was grinning widely. "I guess there's no problem then."

When Lindsay started to get up, he tightened his grip on her. He kissed her one more time, touched his forehead to hers and looked in her eyes as he said, "I love you, Lindsay Monroe."

Lindsay kissed him back and answered, "I love you, Danny Messer."

It was another hour before they left Danny's apartment.

* * *

Flack surveyed the mountain of boxes in front of him. Jordan had asked him to move the boxes into the spare bedroom. She explained that she was going to turn it into a study/home office.

He sighed. _Damn. This wasn't one of my brighter ideas._ Still, he admitted to himself that he volunteered to help her move so that he could spend more time with her.

They've been working together for a week now. They always had lunch together, conveniently falling back on the reason that it made no sense to eat separately. Since they were partners, they worked together on cases, so they spent a lot of time together. But Flack was still craving opportunities to spend time with her outside of work.

_Moving boxes it is, then. _He gritted his teeth and picked up one box. Although he was a strong guy, he staggered beneath the weight of that one box. _What does she have in here anyways? Rocks?_ He hated moving. If he had his way, he would never change apartments, just so that he'd never have to go through the hell of moving.

Five boxes later, Danny and Lindsay finally arrived, both casually dressed for moving.

"Hey, Flack," Danny greeted him as he sauntered into Jordan's apartment. "Where's Addison?"

Flack grunted as he heaved a huge box onto his back, "What took you so long? I called you three hours ago."

Danny shrugged and answered, "What? We stopped by and had brunch. We figured we'd need our strength if we were going to keep hauling boxes all day."

Flack let out a resigned sigh and answered, "Fine. Jordan wants us to move these boxes into the spare bedroom."

Danny just laughed and picked up a box, following his friend. Nothing could ruin his mood today.

* * *

Lindsay had wandered off into the other rooms to look for Jordan. She found her friend unpacking clothes in the bedroom.

"Hey, Jordan," she greeted. "Sorry we're late." She didn't offer any explanations. "So, boss. Where do I start?"

Jordan just grinned at her friend. "If it's alright, I could use some help with my clothes. We can catch up while we work."

"Sure," Lindsay answered. The women got down to work hanging and folding clothes. As they did so, they talked about old acquaintances. Both being country girls, they had their own stories about moving into the "big cities". Jordan told Lindsay about the interesting cases she got to handle in L.A. and Lindsay shared her own weird experiences. Both recounted being "initiated" into the big city. Lindsay started telling Jordan some useful things she learned about living in New York.

"I learned that once you get home, the first thing you do is lock your door behind you. You also shouldn't randomly buzz people in, unless you know who they are," Lindsay recalled the advice given to her by her co-workers. Actually, most of the advice came from Danny. In the beginning, she found it strange that he seemed so concerned about her safety. But now, it just made a soft smile curl her lips.

Jordan noticed the slow smile and teased, "Are you thinking about Danny again?"

Lindsay groaned at the high school-ness of that question and blushed.

Jordan laughed and said, "Come on, Linds. We were roommates for _four_ _years_. I know you well enough to recognize the signs. You're crazy about him aren't you?"

Lindsay's eyes turned dreamy as she answered, "Yes, I am."

Jordan probed a little deeper. "Well, then why aren't you with him?"

Lindsay started fiddling with the shirt she was folding. "Well…" she hedged. "We're kind of together."

Jordan raised her eyebrow. "Kind of?"

Lindsay rolled her eyes and answered, "Okay, so we _are_ together." Once again, a contented smile overtook her face.

Jordan asked lightly, "Are you happy, Linds?"

Lindsay looked at her friend and inquired, "What do you think?"

Jordan smiled, satisfied. "Then I'm happy for you." The girls looked at each other and squealed, giggling like teenagers.

Lindsay collapsed on top of a box, laughing. "It's great to have you here, Jordan." She reached out and hugged her friend. "You're going to love New York. We'll show you around," she promised her friend.

"Thanks, Linds," Jordan answered happily. "Everybody's been so nice, especially the people from the lab. And Don's been great to, what with helping me to move in and adjusting to the city."

Lindsay grabbed at the chance to tease her friend back. "So now that you're finished interrogating me, it's my turn. What's with you and Flack?"

This time, it was Jordan's turn to blush. She recalled the morning's events.

* * *

What happened that morning? Go to the next chapter to find out. :D Please don't forget to review. :D 


	10. The One With the Flashback

_Flashback:_

Jordan woke up early. Don said he'd be there around nine, and she wasn't all that enthusiastic about greeting him while her hair was all messy and she hadn't taken a shower yet. So that morning, she set her alarm for seven-thirty so she could take a long shower and pick out something that was subtly cute, while still appropriate for moving.

Standing in front of the closet wrapped in a towel, she pulled out a white racer-back tank top and a pair of sweats that clung nicely to her lower body. She put the clothes on and surveyed her reflection. _Perfect. Casual and comfortable for moving, but I look nice. _She smiled at herself and started toweling her hair dry. When she finished, she pulled it back in a high ponytail, effectively keeping her hair out of her face and showing off her smooth shoulders and slender neck.

Satisfied with her appearance, Jordan plopped back down on her temporary bed and let her thoughts wander for a while. In the week they had been partners, she and Don got along really well. Every meal they shared was an opportunity for them to get to know each other better and less than ten days after meeting him she already felt that she knew him her whole life.

She told him about growing up on the farm and what made her choose to be a cop. He told her about his family, especially his father and how it was sometimes difficult for him to be recognized as a cop in his own right and not as his father's son.

As the days went by, Jordan found herself being more and more attracted to her partner. _This is one of the dumbest things you've ever done, Addison. Way to go, you fell for your partner, the partner that you've only known for a week. _

Jordan groaned and gnawed at her bottom lip. She didn't know what to do with the situation. She liked Don. She liked his piercing blue eyes, his neat black hair, his tall, lanky frame, his lean strength. She also liked his intelligence, biting wit and sarcasm and sense of humor. She had never met a man who appealed to her as much as Don Flack, Jr. did.

_Damn. This could get sticky. What if he doesn't like me back? _she wondered. _That is the least of your problems, Addison. You're a cop. You can not get involved with your partner, _she scolded herself.

Jordan's thought were interrupted by her buzzer. She let Don in and took a deep breath. _Here we go._

* * *

Flack bounced impatiently on his toes, waiting for Jordan to open her door. In his hand, he held a paper bag that contained two Starbucks lattes. As the door opened, Flack's breath caught in his throat. Jordan looked amazing. She was dressed simply in a tank top and sweatpants but she looked hot. Flack started to sweat.

"Morning, Don," she said, smiling at him. Her hair was pulled up today, but stray strands had begun to fall around her face. He resisted the impulse to tuck them behind her ear and instead held out the bag with a semi-strangled smile.

"Here, I brought us some coffee. I wasn't sure if you had your coffee maker out yet, so…" he gestured, offered her his gift.

She let out a happy gasp, "Oh, thank you! It's been ages since I've had a decent cup of coffee. No offense, but that sludge they keep in the station break room does not count."

Flack laughed, relaxing around her. She was always fun. As he had already admitted to Danny, he liked Jordan. She wasn't only pretty. She was also smart, funny, gutsy and she could needle Danny almost as well as he did. In his book, that counted a lot.

Flack followed her inside and shut the door behind him. She perched on one of the stools in front of the counter and motioned for him to join her. He chose a stool beside her and hooked his feet over the rungs of the stool. He grabbed the other cup inside the bag and took a long gulp. The coffee slid on his tongue and down his throat smoothly, leaving behind a bittersweet taste. Beside him, he heard Jordan make an appreciative noise as she drank from her cup. They stayed like that, silently focused on the scent and taste of good coffee.

They started chatting a few minutes later and Flack asked her what she planned to do with her apartment. She told him that she wasn't really a fussy person. She just wanted the furniture moved to where it should be and some of the boxes unpacked and she'd put in the little homey knickknacks on her own as she went.

"Sounds do-able," Flack commented. He looked around. "So, where do you want me to start?"

Jordan reluctantly got up from the stool. She enjoyed talking to Don. She'd been looking forward to today so she could spend time with him away from work.

She had a lot of stuff from L.A. She didn't realize how much stuff she had until she looked at the literal mountain of boxes in her new apartment. Stacked together, they resembled a child's jungle gym.

"Hold on," she stared at the heap of boxes and tried to recall what was inside which box. Knowing what was inside might help her in deciding where she wanted the boxes moved. She figured she'd separate the boxes into rooms and move the furniture later when there was more room.

She started climbing the boxes that were piled haphazardly in her soon-to-be living room. Flack watched her uneasily, wondering how sturdy the cardboard mountain was. As she reached the box in question, the pile teetered alarmingly for a second then stayed in place.

From the top of the pile, Jordan cut open the top of the box and saw that these boxes and saw that they contained stuff for the bedroom: sheets and other beddings. She called out to Flack, "The top boxes go into the bedroom. I'll figure out the rest later when we're done with those."

As she gave instructions, she made her way down from the pile of boxes. Suddenly, one of the boxes gave and she let out a yelp as she tumbled down. Flack reacted instinctively, catching her before she fell flat on her face on the floor.

The impact of her fall caused her to land on top of him and he was too surprised to regain his balance. In the end, both of them landed on top of the floor, with Flack taking most of the impact of the fall his back. He protected her by pulling her on top of him. They lay there for a minute, panting to regain their breath.

They suddenly realized that they were lying together on the floor, their bodies pressed together from the neck down.

Slowly, as though in a dream, Flack took hold of Jordan's ponytail and pulled her head down to his. He kissed her slowly, thoroughly, they way he thought of doing since the first time he saw her in the station house.

Jordan kissed him back, enjoying the feeling of his lips on hers. He kissed really well, with the perfect amount of tasting and nibbling. He didn't slobber on her, like some guys did. Instead, he found the perfect balance between moist and dry, gentleness and passion.

Minutes later, they pulled apart, breathing heavily. By that time, their positions were reversed. Jordan was on her back on the floor, and Flack was leaning over her, covering his body with hers so that he could kiss her more deeply.

Blue eyes met green. Both pairs were hesitant, unsure of what had happened, half-afraid of how the other might react.

Then Flack spoke, "I want to say I'm sorry, but I'm really not. I've been dying to do that since I saw you for the first time."

Jordan blushed, but she met his eyes steadily. She smiled softly at him. "I'm glad you did it."

Flack smiled back and gently pulled away from her. He tugged at her hands and sat back down on a stool in front of the counter. He pulled her close so that she stood between his legs and took a deep breath.

"Look, Jordan, I really don't know how this happened, but I like you," he said, gazing into her green eyes. "And I really want to get to know you better, beyond being my partner. Thing is, I'm not sure about a lot of things. I'm not really sure how that's supposed to work, and I'm not sure if you want the same thing that I want."

Hope leapt in Jordan's heart. She responded haltingly, "If it helps, I want the same thing, too." She brushed her fingers across his strong jaw and moved her hand to his shoulder. "But I'm also not sure about how that's supposed to work."

Flack looked at her thoughtfully. "So… Do you want to see where this will go?"

Jordan nodded shyly and a huge smile spread of Flack's face. "Okay, that works for me." He pulled her close for another kiss and hugged her. She linked her arms around his waist and felt the muscles on his back.

She pulled away for a moment, "What about work?"

Flack teased, "I guess we can make out in the station when you feel like it."

She laughed and socked him playfully on the shoulder. "No, you weirdo. What I meant was, how is this supposed to work when _we're_ at work?"

Flack sobered up and tried to come up with a solution to the problem. "Well," he replied softly, rubbing his hand soothingly on Jordan's back as he tried to think, "technically speaking, what we do when we're off the clock is nobody's business. But when we're on duty, we're professionals. I don't think that either one of us would have it any other way." He asked her, "What do you think?"

Jordan considered his proposition for a moment. Then she smiled and kissed him. "Yep, that sounds good to me."

Flack laughed and pulled her close, kissing her again. "Wait. I have a question." He suddenly looked incredibly uncomfortable. "Actually, I have two questions."

Jordan's brow furrowed uncertainly. "What's wrong?"

Flack wondered how he was going to ask her this question. He hemmed and hawed and stalled until he couldn't take it anymore, he had to find out.

"See, Jordan," he cleared his throat. "It's just that…" his voice trailed off. "I'm not really sure how to say this, but I guess, I just wanted you to know that I'm not the kind of guy who dates more than one woman at a time." He cleared his throat again, obviously uncomfortable with where the conversation was going, even though it was his idea. "I guess I wanted you to know that as long as we're trying to see where this is going, I'm no going to be seeing any other women." He hastily added, "Not that I want you to do the same thing… Well, I kinda do… But I know I don't have the right… And it really is okay if you wanted to see other guys… Do you want to see other guys?" he asked, suddenly confused.

He was surprised when Jordan laughed. "Don, do you really think that I'm the kind of woman who dates more than one guy at a time?" He shook his head hopefully. "Good." She smiled at him. "So is this your way of telling me that you don't want us going out with other people for as long as we're… um… exploring?" she asked him.

He sighed in relief. "Kind of."

She laughed again. "Alright then. No seeing other people until we both decide that it's okay." She kissed him. "What was your other question?"

"Before we get to that, does that mean that you're my girlfriend?" he inquired, smiling back at her.

Jordan looked at him thoughtfully. "I don't know. What do you think?"

Flack plunged ahead, explaining himself. "Well, let's say that you run into some guy who hits on you and asks you to go out with him. And you say no, but then he asks, 'why do you have a boyfriend already?' What would you say?"

Jordan answered, "Hmm. I don't know. Would you want me to tell him that yes, I do have a boyfriend so stop hitting on me?"

Flack replied, with a satisfied smile, "Yeah, that sounds about right."

Jordan threw up her hands in mock exasperation. "Don, why do you keep asking me questions you already answered for yourself?"

Flack stared at her, perplexed. Then he realized that she was right. He did ask her things that he already knew. He was certain that he wasn't going to be seeing any other women while he had Jordan and he wanted to be able to call her his girlfriend. He grinned ruefully, "So you're saying that I should just spit out whatever it is that's in my head instead of beating around the bush?"

Stifling another laugh, Jordan responded, "Yeah that might be a better idea."

Flack smiled, "Do we tell people?"

Jordan looked lost in thought for a moment. "I don't know, Don. Do you think it would be okay?"

Flack considered the situation from all possible angles. "Well, we did agree to act professionally and that means no one who works around us is supposed to notice anything."

Jordan asked, "But let's say we go out with Lindsay and the other people from the lab? Do we act like there's nothing going on between us or do we act normally around them?"

Flack answered this automatically. "No, we can be normal around them. They're our friends."

Jordan smiled, relieved. She didn't want to have to hide anything from Lindsay and she doubted that she could if she even tried.

Flack kissed her one last time and hugged her tightly. "Okay, now we got most of the details ironed out, let's work on this apartment of yours."

Jordan laughed and led him back to the boxes.

* * *

Okay, that's it for now. I'm going to watch CSI NY first. I heard that Danny's going shirtless… So, there. Haha. :D How did you guys find this one? I hope Chapters 9 and 10 were good reads. Let me know what you think okay? I think I'm going to drag this fanfic out for as long as I can. I don't want to say good-bye to the OCs. :D What do you think? Please review. Thanks:D Moving Day will be continued after I watch the episode. :D 


	11. The One With Moving Day

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the show.

Oh my sweet Lord! A shirtless Danny Messer! (Drool pools around the computer.) That has got to be the best thing I have seen in my entire life! Just for that I forgive TPTB for not putting much D/L in the past shows. Well, at least I forgive them a little.

I'm not really sure where this will go. I'm just enjoying writing about Danny and Lindsay. There's just a light scene for Hawkes and Cassie for this chapter. I'm still thinking of a good situation for them so their story might be drawn out a little longer.

Moving day turns out to be a double date. :D Let me know what you think as soon as you read it. :D Thanks again for all the great reviews!

* * *

Jordan finished her story, a dreamy look in her eyes. Lindsay thought about teasing her friend, but decided that she had no right to, because she had a sneaking suspicion that she had the same expression on her face.

Instead, both girls looked at each other and squealed like teenagers. Then, they fell back on the floor, laughing at their antics.

After a few minutes they sobered up and went back to the business of arranging Jordan's closet. Jordan folded a shirt and asked Lindsay, "Are you going to tell people about you and Danny?"

Lindsay answered, "Well, it'd be kind of hard to keep it from them. They are detectives after all." She shrugged. "We just figured that we'd act normally. The way we usually do. If people ask, then we tell them the truth. But we decided to keep it out of the lab as much as we can." She glanced sideways at Jordan and threw the question back to her. "How about you and Flack?"

Jordan nodded. "Pretty much the same as what you and Danny decided. It's not like we can make a big deal out of it, right? We'll be as professional as we can at work but we decided that whatever we do when we're off the clock is no one's business but ours."

"But you really like him, don't you?" Lindsay asked, gauging her friend's reaction.

Jordan exhaled softly. "Yeah, I really do. To be perfectly honest, I'm a little worried. I mean, you know me, Linds. I've never fallen this fast and this hard for a guy." She gestured helplessly. "I've only known him for a week and here we are."

Lindsay smiled sheepishly. "I don't really blame you. I feel the same way about Danny. I moved here from Montana with the idea that I was going to focus on my career. In less than a month, Danny and I got really close and I started to have feelings for him."

At that, Jordan laughed and said softly, "What is it about these New York boys that makes us Montana girls fall for them?"

Both women's lips curved as they smiled at each other, each thinking about that special New York man who made them smile.

* * *

By twelve o'clock, they'd made a lot of headway in fixing up Jordan's apartment. Talking and giggling made the work go by much faster for the girls and they were able to finish setting-up Jordan's bedroom. The guys, on the other hand, had sorted all of the boxes into the appropriate rooms. They had also wrangled the couch and coffee table into place. They decided to take a break and finish the rest of the apartment after lunch.

At Danny's suggestion they called a nearby pizza place and ordered two large pepperoni pizzas. Given that four huge appetites were worked up from lifting and hauling and moving, anything less than that was unacceptable.

While waiting for the pizza, the four detectives clustered around the kitchen counter, enjoying cold beers after a morning of hard work. Earlier, Jordan found their old college yearbook and the girls were giggling over it now.

Danny and Lindsay sat across from Flack and Jordan. Neither couple missed the significance of the seating arrangement. For the women it made no difference. For the men, it was surprising.

While the girls were busy, looking at pictures and recalling their college days, Flack and Danny simultaneously lifted their eyebrows and tilted their heads towards the girls. Both nodded at the same time, happy smiles breaking out on their faces. Again at the same time, both men lifted their beer bottles in a silent toast and turned to join the girls in their trip down memory lane.

Danny broke into the conversation, "So Addison, any of Montana's old boyfriends in there?" he asked, gesturing towards the yearbook.

Jordan's eyes lit up and started flipping through the pages. Lindsay just sat back and took a swig out of her beer bottle, smirking to herself. Soon, Jordan let out a soft, "Aha!" and triumphantly turned the yearbook around to show Danny.

He looked down at the page and was not so surprised to feel a flare of jealousy. "Lemme see this," he said, drawing out his New York accent as he tried to contain his temper. "Jason Nichols, captain of the football team. You dated a football player?" he asked, looking at Lindsay with his eyebrows raised. "Don't you have to be a cheerleader to date one of them bozos?"

Lindsay casually folded her arms on the table top and shot Danny a mischievous look just as he raised his beer bottle to his lips. "Actually I was a cheerleader."

Danny choked at the mental image of his Montana in a cheerleading uniform, with the tight top and short skirt. _Sweet Jesus I would love to see that._

He sat there coughing and gaping at her at the same time. "You're kidding, right?" he asked once again in disbelief, once he had caught his breath. Flack let out a bark of laughter as he saw the look on Danny's face. It looked like he had swallowed a goldfish.

Lindsay laughed at his expression and nonchalantly replied, "Not really. I was actually the head cheerleader."

Danny's mouth just kept opening and closing in utter disbelief. _Well, well. There's a lot of things I don't know about you, Montana._ Then a slow smile spread across his face. Soon, he was grinning widely, which made Lindsay demand to know what he was smiling about.

"Nothing," he answered, smirking to himself.

Lindsay laughingly threatened to pour beer down his head if he didn't explain what was so damned funny.

Danny leaned close and whispered wickedly in her ear, "I just have this very wonderful image of you in my head dressed in a cheerleading outfit," which made Lindsay blush prettily.

Flack and Jordan watched the exchange in amused silence, glancing at each other. A question hung between them, _You know about them?_ Both just smiled at each other.

This time, Danny said, "Linds, why don't you flip through that thing and find an old boyfriend of Jordan's and see how Flack likes that?"

Lindsay immediately flipped through the yearbook. "I have something better than that." She showed it first to Danny, who leaned in close to see. Then he nodded and said, "Nice." Jordan started shifting in her seat. She had a pretty good idea of what picture that was.

After a few more seconds, Flack grabbed the yearbook around and looked at the picture in question.

It was a picture of Jordan in clad scantily in a sports bra and hot pants. She was perched on top of a pyramid and smiling widely.

Flack took one look at the picture and his eyes glazed over. _Wow._

Danny gestured to the yearbook. "What happened in that picture? Or do cheerleaders in Montana really practice in their skivvies?"

Lindsay laughed as she recalled that day. "Well, if I remember correctly, Jordan fell from the pyramid the first time we tried it out. When we tried to catch her, her shirt ripped. Since it was really warm that day, she decided to keep practicing without a shirt."

Flack looked at his girlfriend, bug-eyed. She looked innocently back at him, "What? It's no different from being in a bikini."

Flack turned white and his mouth fell open, much like Danny's did, at the idea of Jordan in a skimpy bikini. He shot a look at his friend, "When do you think we can take them swimming?"

Danny considered this for a moment and then nodded to Flack. "I'll call you and we'll schedule it on our next day off."

The girls just looked at each other and laughed.

Just then, the doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of their pizza.

"It's about time," Lindsay complained. "I'm starving."

"I know," Jordan agreed. "I can't wait till the kitchen is up and I don't have to rely on delivery men to bring me my food."

Danny rolled his eyes at Flack. "Can you believe the appetites on these two?"

Flack just held up his hands and said, "Hey, it's better than dating girls who eat nothing but rabbit food." Danny answered, "Ditto."

Flack paid the delivery boy and smacked Danny on the back of the head as he placed the pizza down on the counter. "Next time, you're paying for lunch."

From then on, most of the attention was on the pizza itself. They ate heartily, joking, laughing, and teasing as they went. Before long, the pizza was demolished and nothing was left behind but crumpled napkins.

The four detectives moved from the counter to plop on the sofa. Danny and Flack took opposite ends of the couch with the girls in between them. Danny stretched back contentedly, "See? What did I tell you? That's the best pizza in the city."

Jordan sighed, "I have to agree with you there, Messer. I have never tasted pizza that good."

Lindsay smiled proudly, "Well, if you wanna know all the best places to eat in the city, Danny's the person to ask. He knows this city like the back of his hand." She scooted closer to Danny, who put his arm around her and settled her more comfortably at his side.

From the other end of the sofa, Flack yawned and said, "All the food made me sleepy. Why don't you guys finish up and I'll just take a nap?"

Jordan cuffed him on the arm and said in mock anger, "You promised you'd help me move!"

Flack smiled at her and said, "I know, but right now, I'm feeling the need to sleep."

Jordan looked back at him and widened her eyes, smiling sweetly at him, "Please, Don?"

Flack looked at her face. _Dammit, she's so cute._ He relented, "All right. But you have to feed me."

"I know. I promise, we'll go out for dinner later," Jordan answered, grinning widely. She leaned in to kiss him then stood up and held out her hand to him. "Come on, Detective Flack. We're almost done."

Flack groaned in protest, but let her pull him to his feet. He followed Jordan into the bedroom. Danny and Lindsay could hear him muttering to himself, "I hate moving."

Danny whispered to Lindsay, "He must really like her, cause Flack really does hate moving. There was that time Stella needed help cause she switched apartments, Flack took on a double murder just to get out of helping her move furniture."

Lindsay smothered a laugh. "Well, we both know that they like each other."

Danny kissed her and laced their fingers together. He asked, "So what have you and Jordan been talking about all morning? Flack and I could hear you squealing like kids."

Lindsay did laugh at the memory and answered mysteriously, "Nothing, nothing."

Danny squinted suspiciously at her, "You were talking about me and Flack, weren't you?"

Lindsay burst out laughing, "See, Messer, that's what I like about you. You're smart."

Danny heaved a sigh. "I guess the fact that our girlfriends are friends means that Flack and I will be spending more time together."

Lindsay teased him, "Oh, come on. I know for a fact that Flack's your best friend. You two just got lucky that Jordan and I are friends."

Danny's eyes are softened as he whispered, "Damn right, I got lucky. I love you, Montana."

Lindsay kissed him, "I love you, too Messer." Then she got up and hauled Danny to his feet. "Come on, let's go see what Jordan needs us to do."

Danny let out another sigh. "This definitely was not one of Flack's brighter ideas," he grumbled. "We could have spent the day together, just the two of us."

Lindsay was touched by his desire to be alone with her. Although she wanted the same thing, she promised Jordan she'd help her out and she wasn't about to go back on her word. She know what it felt like to move into the city.

As they reached the bedroom door, Danny and Lindsay gaped at the sight before them. Flack and Jordan were on the bed, making out like kids.

Danny nudged Lindsay and whispered, "You think they'd notice if we left?"

Lindsay whispered back, still gaping at their friends. "I think a bomb could go off in here and they wouldn't mind."

Danny slid his arms around her. "See, for once, Flack has a good idea. I say, we go back to your place and try that out." He nodded eagerly, a look of appeal in his eyes.

Lindsay planted a kiss on his lips and laughed. "Later, Messer. There's more than enough time for that." Then she cleared her throat loudly and Flack and Jordan sprung apart, identical expressions of guilt on their faces.

Jordan recovered first, "Lindsay!" she stammered, running her hand through her hair, which had come loose from the ponytail. "We, um… We were just…"

Lindsay burst out laughing, "Sorry to interrupt, Jordan. Just tell us what you want us to do and we'll let you guys get back to what you were doing." Behind her, Danny smirked at the two of them.

Jordan scrambled out of the bed, blushing furiously as the girls walked out of the living room. They heard Lindsay whisper something and a choked sound from Jordan and suddenly the girls were laughing again.

Flack glared at Danny, "Dammit, Messer, you've got lousy timing."

Danny held up his hands in mock surrender, "Hey, it wasn't my brilliant idea to rope me and Lindsay into moving furniture. If you want we can leave," he said hopefully.

Flack just shot him another irritated glance. "No dice, Messer. If I have to stay here and help move boxes and furniture then so do you."

Danny retorted, "Hey, it's not my girlfriend who needs help. Mine already fixed her apartment months ago."

Flack's mature response was to shove Danny out the door.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the lab, Hawkes received a page from the Trace Lab.

_Doc, there's something strange about your sample. Swing by the lab when you're free. – Cassie_

Hawkes replaced the phone in his pocket and grabbed a file folder of the case.

As he walked over to the Trace Lab, he programmed his phone to save Cassie's number. Before long, he had reached the Trace Lab.

"Hey, Cassie," he greeted as he walked in. "What have you got for me today?"

Cassie's heart had started pounding as soon as she saw him through the glass doors. She tried to act as normally as possible, which was hard, because as the days had gone by, she learned that she found the good doctor attractive. _Very_ attractive. He had that unique combination of intelligence and good looks, as well as an innate kindness that she found calming. She also appreciated his sense of humor, which she caught glimpses of in the various conversations they've had in the past week. She pulled herself together and started walking over to a microscope that she'd set up.

"Hey, Doc," she greeted back. "Come take a look see."

Hawkes pushed his glasses up his forehead and fitted his eyes to the microscope. What he saw baffled him.

Cassie explained to him. "It's a hair from a civet."

"Huh?" was Hawkes' confused response.

Cassie explained, "It's a member of the feline family."

Hawkes looked up from the microscope and inquired, "Applications?"

Cassie continued, "Civet oil is used most often in perfumes. Many companies breed the cats so they have a ready supply of the oil."

Hawkes scanned the file. "The woman who found the vic worked in a cosmetics company. It's worth checking out." He smiled at her. "Thanks, Cassie."

Cassie waved her hand at him, "Nothing to it, Doc. Stop by anytime."

Before he walked out, Hawkes hesitated, the blurted out, "Are you doing anything tonight?"

Cassie was surprised, but then she answered, "Actually, yeah. Me and Marty were planning to rent some movies and stay in. He said he needed to talk to me about something."

"Oh," Hawkes replied, feeling vaguely deflated. He mustered a smile and said, "Next time, then. Thanks again, Cassie." He walked out of the lab with one last wave.

Cassie mulled over the conversation. _Was he going to ask me out?_

Outside, Hawkes berated himself, _Dammit, Hawkes. She's still going out with Pino._

Separated by glass walls, Hawkes and Cassie both sighed unhappily.

* * *

I guess that's it for tonight. Keep reading for more of Hawkes and Cassie. More will follow, I promise. Also, a follow up to see what happens after Moving Day. What do you guys think? I'm thinking if I should make this a close daily follow up of the lives of the CSI NY team, plus the OCs of course. So it might be a never-ending story. :D Your opinion counts so I'm looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks again to all reviewers:D 


	12. The One Where They Tell Mac

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the show.

Never-ending story it is then. :D Anything for you guys. :D Plus, I think I want to write a never-ending story cause I don't want to leave the characters behind.

Sorry it took so long. The weekend gave me no time to update the story. :D I was dying cause I wanted to write more about them.

I think I'll add a little bit more of Hawkes and Cassie in the next chapter and more sweet stuff for Flack and Jordan and Danny and Lindsay. I can't bear to write more angst for them cause they've been through so much already. (Danny and Lindsay and Flack, I mean, so I just want to make this light for them cause they deserve a little lightness in their life.)

I hope you enjoy this one! Please keep reviewing cause each review is highly appreciated:D

* * *

_Buzz! Buzz! Buzzzzz! Buzz! Buzz! Buzzzz!_

The buzzing sound woke Danny up. He groggily opened his eyes and blindly reached for his phone on the nightstand. He flipped it open and mumbled, "Messer".

"Danny," Mac's voice came over the line. "We need you in a murder scene near the NYU campus. Flack and Jordan are on their way and they're meeting you there."

Danny's brain shifted into gear and he listened as Mac gave him the address. He rubbed his hands over his eyes and said, "Gotcha, Mac. I'm on my way." He disconnected the call.

As he got up from the bed, Lindsay opened her eyes sleepily and murmured, "Danny?"

Danny leaned over and kissed her. "Morning, Montana."

Lindsay started to rise but Danny gently pushed her back down. "No, no, no. Don't get up. It's 2 am. Mac just called. He's got a dead body near NYU and he needs me. You stay here and sleep. I'll see you later at the lab, okay?"

Lindsay nodded and pulled his head down for one last kiss. Danny kissed her back and tucked the covers tight around her naked form. He took one last wistful look at the tempting sight his girlfriend made in her warm bed and sighed as he headed into the shower. Fortunately, he and Lindsay stopped at his apartment on the way back to hers to grab a change of clothes for him. They both figured that if they stayed in to have dinner at her place, he wasn't making it back to his for the night.

After he had showered, he grabbed his badge, wallet, keys and phone. He bent over the bed and gently kissed Lindsay's forehead. "I'll see you later, Montana. I love you."

On his way out, he stopped to scribble a note and leave something on the kitchen counter, where Lindsay was sure to see it in the morning.

Then he stepped out the door and headed out into the New York night.

Twenty minutes later, Danny reached the crime scene, one of the off-campus dormitories favored by NYU students. He was directed to a service elevator and he rode it to the twelfth floor.

Mac was waiting inside the unit. "Thanks for coming in so quickly, Danny."

Danny nodded and said, "No problem, Mac. What have we got?"

Mac replied, "Victim is Nina Anderson. She's a junior at NYU. Roommate came home from clubbing and found her dead. Coroner pronounced time of death at 12 midnight."

Danny took the information in and nodded his head. "Where's the scene?"

Mac jerked his head to the bedroom, "It's in there. Flack's interviewing the roommate right now. She's in the other room."

Flack came out from the other room at that moment. "Roommate's name is Anna Stevens. Said she came home at 2 am from a club in Manhattan with her boyfriend and some other people. She checked to see if Nina was home and found her like that."

Danny answered, "Let's take a look see."

Just then, Mac's phone beeped. He checked the message and told Flack and Danny, "I got another DB in an alley just twelve blocks from here. Danny, stay here and start processing the scene. I'll call Lindsay and send her here. Hawkes and Stella will be with me on the other case."

Danny nodded nonchalantly, even though he was secretly elated at the thought of working the case with Lindsay. Mac said goodbye to Flack and Danny and walked out the door.

* * *

Lindsay's phone started buzzing less than an hour after Danny got called away. It was Mac, asking her to go to a scene in NYU. She remembered that it was the scene where Danny was so she decided to bring him coffee.

She took a quick shower and got dressed. On her way out, she made coffee for both of them and poured one into a cup for herself and grabbed a thermos for Danny. That's when she saw the surprise Danny left on the kitchen counter.

The hastily written note said, _Morning, Montana. I'll see you later at the lab okay? I took your spare keys. I love you. Danny_

On top of the note was another mini CD. Lindsay smiled and checked the clock. Danny could wait for her at the crime scene for 5 more minutes.

She popped the disc in and looked out of the window to the lights of the city that Danny loved so much, the city that was rapidly feeling like home to her. She stood there, gulping down her coffee next to the window, quietly listening to the song that Danny picked for her today.

Unlike the first songs, this one was fast and upbeat, a song that represented the happiness that they both felt.

_The world would be a lonely place  
Without the one that puts a smile on your face  
So hold me 'til the sun burns out  
I won't be lonely when I'm down _

'_Cause I've got you to make me feel stronger  
When the days are rough and an hour feels much longer  
_

_I never doubted you at all  
The stars collide, while you stand by and watch them fall  
So hold me 'til the sky is clear  
And whisper words of love right into my ear _

'_Cause I've got you to make me feel stronger  
When the days are rough and an hour feels much longer  
Yeah when I got you  
Oh to make me feel better  
When the nights are long they'll be easier together _

_Looking in your eyes hoping they won't cry  
And even if you do I'll be in bed so close to you  
Hold you through the night and you'll be unaware  
But if you need me I'll be there _

_Yeah I got you to make me feel stronger  
When the days are rough and an hour feels much longer  
Yeah when I got you to make me feel better  
When the nights are long they'll be easier together  
Oh when I got you _

She smiled and reached for her phone on the way out of the apartment, typing a quick message to Danny as she went. _I'm on my way. I love you._

A few minutes later, her phone beeped with Danny's reply. _Take care of yourself, Linds. I love you, too._

* * *

In about half an hour, she reached the crime scene. She walked under the yellow tape and made her way to the bedroom, where she found a huge bloodstain on the bed. Danny was bagging up various items to bring back to the lab.

She called out lightly, "Hey, Messer."

Danny turned around, that wonderfully special smile lighting his face, "Hey, Montana. What took you so long?"

Lindsay held up the thermos. "Brought something for you."

Danny walked over, sealed evidence bags in his hands. He glanced around quickly and when he saw that the place was empty, he wrapped his free arm around Lindsay's waist, pulling her close for a quick kiss. When they broke apart, Lindsay unscrewed the top of the thermos and the delicious aroma of coffee wafted to Danny's nostrils. He gave her another grateful kiss and released her, reaching for the bounty that she offered.

"Thanks, Montana. Just what I needed."

Lindsay smiled at him, "No problem, Messer. What have you finished so far?"

Danny answered her as he drank the lifesaving caffeine. Getting up at 2 am was always hell, especially when you spent most of the night up with your girlfriend. "I finished taking pictures of the vic's placement, and I got a lot of images of the scene already. They came in to take the body about twenty minutes ago. I've just started dusting for prints and bagging evidence to take back with us, so I guess you could start with that."

Lindsay nodded, her mind already on the task at hand. "Got it."

They spent the rest of the morning in silence, both equally focused on the crime scene. Just as they promised themselves they would be, they were professionals. They worked together as partners who were intent on getting answers as to why a college co-ed had been murdered in her own bed.

Sometime later, Danny spoke up. "Y'know, Linds, I was thinking. Maybe we should tell Mac about us later."

Lindsay was silent for a while. "I know." She finished dusting a print and turned back to Danny. "You want to tell him when we get back to the lab?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah, we should." He glanced at his watch and said, "We're making good time on this crime scene though. We should be back in the lab by 7:30. We'll tell him then."

Lindsay answered, "Okay, sounds good."

Ever the consummate professionals, they smiled at each other and turned back to their respective tasks.

* * *

On the other side of town, Mac and Hawkes ducked under the tape to look at a body of a man in his mid-30s. He was face down on the ground. The coroner came to pronounce a time of death. "He's been here for at least 10 hours."

Mac counted in his head. "That puts TOD at about 3 in the afternoon."

Hawkes looked at Mac in confusion, "Who kills a man in an alley in the afternoon?"

Mac looks at Hawkes and answers, "That's what we're here to find out." He assessed the situation. "I'll do the perimeter and you process the immediate area around the body."

Hawkes nodded and went straight to work.

* * *

As Danny had predicted, they got back to the lab by 7:30 am. They decided to log all the evidence in and go down to the morgue, to get details on the exact cause of death of the victim. Seeing as how not too many people were in the lab at that time, Danny allowed himself the small pleasure of draping his arm around Lindsay's shoulders as they walked. She smiled at him and leaned closer to his side.

When they reached the morgue, they were greeted by the sight of Sid bent over the body, which was lying on the cold metal table.

"Morning, Sid. Whatcha got for us today?" Danny called out as he and Lindsay strolled in.

Sid looked up, his half-moon glasses perched low on his nose. "Well, if it isn't my favorite detectives," he said with a small smile.

Lindsay smiled back at him, "How's our girl?"

Sid motioned them closer. "Official TOD is twelve midnight. Single gunshot wound to the forehead. Bullet was lodged inside the brain. I pulled it out for you."

Danny examined the small bullet as closely as he could. "Thanks, Sid." He turned to Lindsay, "We should drop this off with Ballistics before we go see Adam and Cassie."

She nodded. "Any other details we should know, Sid?"

Sid continued, "There's a muzzle stamp on the vic's forehead, but it's very light. My guess is that he held it there, but only for a short while. It only took one shot. Nothing else stands out."

Danny held up the evidence bag that contained the bullet. "Thanks again, Sid."

Lindsay waved goodbye as they left the morgue.

Sid called out after them, "Always a pleasure, Detectives." He shook his head to himself. _I wonder if they told Mac that they're together now._

* * *

As they had planned, Danny and Lindsay dropped the bullet off at Ballistics. On their way to the Trace Lab, Lindsay caught sight of Mac and Hawkes. She nudged Danny and said, "Mac's here. You want to go talk to him now?"

Danny exhaled, suddenly nervous, although he wasn't sure why. He looked at Lindsay and caught the slight worry in her eyes and tried to smile reassuringly at her. "Yeah, let's go. Don't worry, Montana. I'm sure he'll be okay with us."

She took a deep breath and focused on Danny. "You're right. Let's go. The sooner we get this off our minds, the better."

Danny flashed her his cockiest grin. "Yeah, it'd be great to let people know that the great Montana has given in to the Messer charm."

That earned a laugh from Lindsay. "Let's go."

They started the torturous walk to Mac's office. Once they got there, Danny lifted his hand and knocked decisively on the glass door. Mac was sitting behind his desk and he motioned them in.

Danny and Lindsay gave each other one last look and stepped inside, both of their hearts pounding anxiously. Though neither said so, Mac's opinion mattered greatly to both of them. If he chose to oppose their relationship… Well, the idea was too horrible to contemplate.

They stood awkwardly in front of Mac's desk. They felt strangely like two schoolchildren standing in front of the principal because of a misbehavior.

Mac looked up at them expectantly, "Well? What can I do for you?"

The two detectives glanced at each other nervously. Lindsay was fidgeting and the usually smart-mouthed Messer looked strangely at a loss for words.

Then Danny stepped forward and said, "We kinda need to talk to you about something important."

Mac nodded, "Okay, what is it?"

Danny plunged ahead. "Lindsay and I are together now." To emphasize his statement, he reached out and linked his fingers with hers and looked down at her and without intending to, Mac caught a glimpse of why these two should be together.

As Danny looked down at Lindsay, his face visibly softened with tenderness. Lindsay looked equally happy and she turned her eyes to Mac's. He caught the silent plea in her eyes to understand, to give them his blessing.

Mac's expression didn't change, but his voice was gentle as he said. "I'm happy for the both of you." He smiled then and added, "I'm sure I don't need to tell you that I still expect you both to still act like professionals, right?"

Both Danny and Lindsay's faces relaxed in obvious relief and Lindsay spoke up for the first time, "Don't worry, Mac. We won't disappoint you."

Mac smiled at them one last time, "I don't expect you to. Now get back to work on that NYU case."

Danny said, "Thanks Mac." Both he and Lindsay left the office, matching smiles of happiness on their faces.

Mac leaned back in his chair. He wasn't really that surprised. Any blind idiot could see that these two cared about each other. It was bound to happen sooner or later. He was only glad that it was sooner.

* * *

Getting Mac's blessing made Danny and Lindsay work extra hard to prove that his faith in their professionalism was not unfounded. Of course it helped that they were also buoyed by the delicious feeling of being able to stay in close quarters with the love of your life.

They were poring over the evidence they brought back with them from the crime scene when Danny's phone beeped. He checked the message and clipped it back to his belt.

He put down the pillowcase he was examining and walked over to where Lindsay was bent over a microscope. He slipped his arm around her waist and said, "Hey, Montana. I'm just going to head over to Ballistics. They got a hit on our bullet."

Lindsay looked up briefly and smiled at him. "Sure. On the way, can you drop this off at Trace?" She pointed to three small evidence bags.

Danny grabbed the bags and answered, "No problem. I'm also going to call for some Chinese take-out. We haven't had breakfast yet and I'm starving. What do you want for lunch? Want me to order for you or do you want anything in particular?"

Lindsay looked away from the microscope to slide a teasing glance Danny's way, "What I want cannot be delivered by a Chinese restaurant."

Danny sucked in his breath as the meaning of her words registered. He leaned down to whisper in her ear, "I'll make you pay for that."

She gave him another lazy once-over and turned back to the microscope. "Promises, promises."

Danny laughed softly and kissed the top of her head. As he walked out of the lab, he called out to Lindsay, "I never make promises I can't keep, Montana."

* * *

Danny whistled softly to himself as he walked to the Ballistics Lab. He ran into Hawkes outside the lab and asked him what he was working on.

Hawkes answered, "A dead body in an alley twelve blocks from yours. Guy was shot. Looked like a mugging, but I have my doubts. Looks too contrived, if you ask me. Yours?"

Danny replied, "College co-ed, shot in her own bed, while she was sleeping. Single gunshot to the head, execution style. Ballistics just got a hit off the bullet we retrieved."

Hawkes looked surprised. "Wow. They're working really fast today. I'm also here to get the results on my bullet."

Danny pushed open the glass doors and they walked inside. The lab tech inside, Andy greeted them cheerfully, "Hey, I got your results here," he said, waving a folder around.

The two detectives exchanged glances. "So which one of us are you talking to here?" Danny drawled out, gesturing to himself and Hawkes.

Andy replied, "To both of you, actually."

More confused glances between Hawkes and Danny. Andy continued, "See, the bullets that you both logged in separately came from the same gun, which was a.38 caliber that was traced to a B & E five years ago. It's registered to a Carl Meyers.

Danny turned to Hawkes and said slowly, "So our two cases are related."

Hawkes nodded. "Seems to be."

Danny thought for a moment. "You want to meet me and Lindsay in our office and try to piece this together?"

Hawkes replied, "Will do. I'll just grab some of the stuff from our case and meet you there in about 10 minutes."

Danny turned back to Andy and said, "Thanks, Andy.

* * *

Flack's phone rang as he walked back into the station with Jordan. He checked the caller ID and flipped it open. "Hey, Danny."

Flack and Jordan kept up their brisk pace while Danny updated him on the latest findings. "All right, I got it. Jordan and I will pick him up and bring him to the station."

He slipped the phone back into his pocket and turned to Jordan who tipped her head at him questioningly. Flack answered, "Danny got a hit on the bullet from the NYU campus dead body. Apparently, it came from the same gun that killed the DB in the alley near the campus. They traced it back to a Carl Meyers, from a previous B & E charge that got dismissed.

Jordan nodded, "Sounds good. We picking him up?"

Flack answered, "Yep. We'll just call Danny and Lindsay when we're on the way back to the station. They'll meet us in interrogation."

Before Jordan could answer, they heard her name being called out. It was Rob Williams, a fellow police officer. "Hey, Jordan! Wait up!"

Jordan shot a quizzical glance at Flack, who shrugged his head. They stood there, waiting for Rob to catch up. He was approximately their age, with brown hair and a nice build. Flack always thought he was a nice guy. He stopped in front of them and nodded to Flack. "Hey, Flack." He then turned to Jordan and smiled disarmingly at her. "Hey, Jordan, I was wondering if I could invite you out after shift, maybe get a drink or some dinner."

Beside her, Jordan felt Flack stiffen imperceptibly. She glanced at him and he just raised his eyebrows slightly, sending a subtle message. _ It's your call. _Jordan looked back at Rob and smiled at him, "Rob, I really appreciate the offer, but I don't think it would be a good idea."

Rob's smile faltered for a moment but he recovered quickly and persisted, "How about lunch? Maybe I could take you out later, grab a bite to eat?"

This time, it was Jordan who stiffened. She thought Rob was nice, but she never was a fan of guys who couldn't take no for an answer. She smiled sweetly at him. "It's really nice of you, but I already have plans for dinner and lunch."

Rob just wouldn't let it go and he opted to tease Jordan casually, "Boyfriend?"

Jordan just smiled evasively and answered, "Yes. Thanks again for the offer, Rob, but Don and I really have to go." She touched Flack's arm and said, "Let's go get Carl Meyers."

Flack grinned at Rob and let Jordan pull him away. As soon as they had rounded the corner out of Rob's sight, he turned to her and teased her, a smug smirk curving his lips, "So you got a boyfriend, huh?"

She laughed and socked him on the arm. "Come off it. Would you rather have me say yes?"

Flack slipped his arm around her as they descended to the parking garage. He pulled her close and kissed her gently. "Nope, I like the way you did that just fine." He grinned at her and said, "See? I told you someone was bound to ask you out."

Jordan laughed once again and kissed him back. "Yeah, but not _this_ soon."

Flack walked her to her side of the car and opened the door for her. He walked quickly to the driver's side and slid in. "Still, I'm kinda glad you shot him down early on in the game. I'm sure it will be all over the station in 20 minutes that Jordan Addison is no longer single."

Jordan slanted a teasing glance in his direction, "Is that your version of peeing around my desk like a dog marking the territory?"

Flack shot her his version of the disarming grin. From Rob Williams, it didn't make much of an impact. From Don, it made her happy that she was seated already, cause it made her knees go weak. "I guess so. That bother you?"

Jordan thought it over for a while, tipping her head lightly to the side. Then she shrugged and smiled at him, "Not really."

Flack let out a bark of laughter and reached for her hand. "You're really something, Jordan Addison. I'm glad I didn't wait too long until I kissed you."

Jordan smiled slowly back at him, "Right back atcha, Detective Flack. Now, come on. Let's go get the bad guy."

* * *

Traffic wasn't too bad and they reached Carl Meyers' apartment sooner than they expected. On their way up, Flack told Jordan to stay behind him and be ready to call for back-up if needed. He didn't like the prickly feeling he got at the back of his neck as they went closer and closer to Carl Meyers' apartment. He told himself he was being paranoid, because this was the first time he brought Jordan to a convicted felon's apartment. Still, he couldn't shake the niggling feeling he had in the pit of his stomach.

He told Jordan to stay in the hallway near the stairs just in case Carl decided to run. He banged on the door and shouted, "Open up, Carl Meyers, this is NYPD."

No response. He decided to try again. "NYPD, Meyers, open the door."

He sighed and gave Jordan a signal. Then he broke the door down and entered the apartment, his gun pointed out in front of him. Before he knew it, a shot rang out in the apartment. He quickly sighted Carl Meyers making the way to the door. He reacted on instinct and fired a shot to distract him.

Jordan's heart rate doubled when she heard the shots. She immediately called for backup. "This is Detective Addison. We're going to need backup. Suspect took shots at us." She quickly gave the dispatch the address and rushed in to follow Don. She entered the apartment quickly and carefully, to find Don wrestling with the suspect on the floor. He had a bloodstain on his arm and he was struggling to retrieve the gun from Meyers.

She trained the gun on the suspect and said menacingly, "Put the gun down, Mr. Meyers."

Carl Meyers looked up to see the female detective point a gun straight to his head. He struggled for a moment more and then gave up. Flack quickly grabbed his gun and turned him roughly to place handcuffs on his wrists.

Two minutes later, Carl Meyers was sitting sullenly, cuffed to a chair so he couldn't escape. Jordan immediately rushed to Flack and looked at his wound. "Don, let me see that." She couldn't keep the worry out of her voice.

Flack looked cautiously at her. Her lips were drawn tightly, her eyes focused on the red stain on his sleeve. "It's just a nick. He just grazed my arm."

Jordan merely nodded, still avoiding his eyes. He got worried so he pulled her close and tipped her chin up. "Jordan, I'm fine. Look at me." He bent down so he could look into her eyes.

Jordan met his eyes unflinchingly. "I'm okay, Don."

She looked sincere, but Flack still decided to tread carefully. "Are you angry at me for getting shot?" He remembered that one time when Lindsay's head practically exploded when she found out that Danny jumped off a building to catch a suspect. These Montana girls were surprisingly protective of their men. The thought made delight spread in his chest. He liked the idea of Jordan worrying about him.

Jordan took a deep breath and forced a smile to reassure him. "It's okay, Don. I'm not angry. I know that it's part of the job. But you have to let it be okay for me to be upset. Right now, in this moment, all I'm seeing is that my boyfriend has a gunshot wound on his arm."

That warm feeling of delight again. Flack pulled her into a hug and said, "I know you're upset and it's okay. I'm just amazed that you're not angrier. Thanks for worrying, baby. I appreciate it, I really do."

Jordan heaved another sigh, finding Don's gentle affection hard to resist. "I guess. Just try not to get yourself shot next time, okay?" She hugged him back and started unbuttoning his shirt to get a look at the wound. Just then, backup and the EMTs arrived. Two police officers, at Flack's instruction, took Carl Meyers back to the station. Jordan stepped aside to let the EMT attend to Don's bleeding arm. When the EMT pulled his shirt off, Jordan's lips tightened again but she said nothing.

Flack saw the telling motion and reached for her hand, twining their fingers reassuringly. They stayed that way until the EMT finished patching up Don's arm and they were sent back to the station.

Flack got up and hauled Jordan tightly to his side, where she willingly stayed. She kept her arm wound around his trim waist as they made their way downstairs. They no longer cared if anyone saw them. In Flack's head, Jordan was still upset and she needed him. In Jordan's head, she needed to feel his strength near her, to reassure her that he really was alright.

The remains of the back up they called for were still downstairs. One of the officers who reported to the scene was Rob Williams. His eyes widened when he saw the protective way Jordan and Flack clung to each other as they walked to their car. _So that's who the boyfriend is,_ he thought ruefully.

* * *

In the next chapter, the team goes out and you'll see more of Hawkes and Cassie. What did you think of this one:D Let me know if you enjoyed it. :D Reviews are highly appreciated. Thanks again! 


	13. The One With All the Couples

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the show.

The Nina Anderson/DB in the alley case gets solved so the team decides to go out to celebrate.

I hope you enjoy this one! Please keep reviewing cause each review is highly appreciated. :D

* * *

Hawkes, Stella, Danny and Lindsay met to pool all their data together and see how the two murders were linked.

Danny was the first to speak. "Okay, 2 AM, Nina Anderson is found dead in her bedroom. Single gunshot wound to the head, execution style. She might or might not have been asleep when she was shot. According to Hammerback, muzzle stamp is light, which means it wasn't pressed there a long time. Bullet retrieved was run through IBIS, gun was a .38 caliber, registered to Carl Meyers."

Lindsay continued the summation, "The roommate, Anna Stevens, found Nina when she got home from a Manhattan club at 2 AM. Roommate's alibi checks out, according to Jordan. She has around 5 people to vouch for her whereabouts at midnight."

Stella then discussed what they found out. "Jimmy Wyatt. Call came in at around 2:30 AM. Coroner put TOD at approximately 3 PM the previous day. Also a single gunshot wound, but to the chest. The killer's got good aim, it went straight through the heart and punctured the aorta. Vic bled out soon after. Wallet's missing, along with other valuables, which makes it look like a mugging."

Hawkes took over. "Some of the trace we found on our vic includes a substance found under his fingernails. Cassie identified it as cooking fat mixed with an epithelial sample that also matched the DNA collected from Carl Meyers. Incidentally, Meyers works in a small diner near NYU."

Danny's brow suddenly furrowed in concentration. "Diner? Which diner? Did we get the name?"

Stella checked the file and answered Danny's question. "Yeah, we did. He works at Santino's. Why?"

Lindsay's concern mounted when she saw Danny's face darken. "What's wrong?"

Danny's swallowed, his eyes finding Lindsay's as he went back to that time in the past when the darkest corners of New York were his playground. "Nothing, it's just that I know that place. It's used as a meeting place for the major bookies of New York. Meyers is probably connected."

Lindsay followed Danny's line of thought effortlessly. "Carl Meyers could have been running a scheme involving Jimmy Wyatt. That's entirely possible but what about Nina Anderson?"

Stella gathered all the papers and stacked them neatly. "Then it's time we talk to Mr. Meyers and find out, right?"

* * *

Flack and Danny went into the interrogation room while Lindsay and Jordan watched from the viewing room. Lindsay immediately noticed that her friend looked shaken and asked her about it.

Jordan shook her head ruefully. "It's nothing. Meyers took a shot at Don and he got a flesh wound. Nothing major. He's alright now, just a bandage on his arm."

Lindsay gazed shrewdly at her friend. "But it still bugs you."

Jordan met her gaze head-on. "If it was Danny, wouldn't it bug you?"

Lindsay couldn't fault that logic. She sighed, empathizing with her friend. "I know, Jordan. The other day, I got so mad at Danny for jumping off the side of a building that I ended up trying to beat him up." She smiled wryly and said, "Later on he told me my punches hurt more than jumping off the building."

Jordan had to laugh at the image of the petite Lindsay punching Danny Messer.

Lindsay reached over to hug her friend. "I don't think we'll ever get used to the idea of Danny and Flack getting hurt in the line of duty. But I know in my heart that I wouldn't want Danny to change who he is just so I can feel safer about what he does." She shrugged. "I'm still learning to deal with it."

Jordan smiled at Lindsay. "Thanks, Linds. It's nice to know someone understands."

Lindsay patted her on the arm. "No big deal. Plus, we Montana girls gotta stick together in the big, bad city, right?"

Jordan laughed, "Too true." She motioned to the screen. "I don't know about you, but right now, I want to watch my man do his thing."

They giggled like schoolgirls and turned their attention to the viewing room.

* * *

Danny and Flack sat across from Carl Meyers. He stared belligerently back at them, unblinking.

Flack leaned on the table. "You mind telling us where you were last night, Carl?"

Carl grunted, "Sleeping at home."

Flack continued to ask, "Can anyone back that up?"

Carl answered, "I live by myself."

Danny spoke up, "We have your gun, Carl. It matches the bullets that killed Jimmy Wyatt and Nina Anderson."

Carl rolled his eyes indolently, "I lost that gun a long time ago."

Danny sighed at the man's stupidity and faced Flack. "Can I?"

Flack spread his hands generously, "Be my guest, Messer."

Danny stood up and towered over Carl. He held up a clear plastic evidence bag and waved it in front of Carl's face. "See, here's your gun, Carl. Detective Flack found it in your nightstand." He held up another bag. "This here's Nina Anderson's wallet. Her student ID's inside. It was also in your nightstand, next to your still slightly smoking gun." He placed both bags back on the table and brought leaned down to Carl's level. "Plus, we also know that you work at Santino's. And I know what goes on at Santino's, Carl."

Fear flickered in the suspect's eyes for a moment, but he stubbornly protested his innocence. "I work there as a cook. And what does that have to do with the murders you were asking me about?"

Danny let out a short bark of laughter. "See, I don't think you were paying attention when my friend and I introduced ourselves. This here's Detective Don Flack Jr. and _my _name is Danny _Messer._"

He saw the light of recognition dawn in Carl Meyers' eyes, followed by the fear that came with the realization that he was caught. There's no way he'd be able to bullshit his way out of this one. Not with the man named Messer.

Danny smiled grimly at the way his name still rang a bell with many of New York City's lowlifes. It was a stigma he tried to escape, but even he had to admit it came in useful sometimes. Like now.

Five minutes later, he and Flack walked out of the interrogation room, with a taped confession from Carl Meyers.

* * *

"So let me get this straight. Carl Meyers shot Nina Anderson because she saw him shoot Jimmy Wyatt in the alley," Lindsay said, as she reached for her can of soda. She, Danny, Flack, Jordan, Hawkes and Stella were in the break room, enjoying Chinese take-out as they went over the details of the case.

"Exactly," Danny nodded and continued explaining. "Apparently, Nina worked in the shop next to the alley and she saw Carl roughing Jimmy up cause he couldn't pay back a gambling debt."

Flack picked up the story as Danny paused to shovel in more food from his take-out container. "Carl went after Nina cause she ran, but she got away. He did manage to grab her wallet, which had her address. He went to her apartment to clean up 'the loose end' as he called it," he finished.

Stella shook her head, "It's a wonder we stay sane, with the amount of scum we see and come into contact with on a daily basis."

Hawkes agreed with her and said, "We do our part to clean it up, though."

Just then, Cassie walked into the break room to refill her mug. Hawkes suddenly felt jittery, although he tried to shrug it off and act casual. He called out to her, "Hey, Cassie. Wanna join us for lunch?"

Cassie smiled at him and Hawkes felt like he had the air punched out from his lungs. _Damn. I could drown in that smile._ She walked towards the table and stood next to him, smiling mischievously, "What's up, Doc?"

Hawkes groaned at her lame joke and replied, "You finished eating?"

Cassie shook her head. "No. Haven't had the time yet." She leaned her head closer towards the group as though she had a secret to disclose. "Some CSI dumped a bunch of trace samples on me and I'm still not done with them." She flashed another smile at him and said, "The ass actually told me that he needed it by 2 PM so that he could finish his reports."

Stella was taken aback at the way she talked of a CSI. Not that there was a hierarchy in the lab, but CSIs deserved more respect than that. "Who's the CSI, Cassie?"

Cassie let loose another sassy smile and tipped her head towards Hawkes, who was now reddening slightly. "I think his name is Hawkes."

Stella, Danny, Lindsay, Flack and Jordan burst out laughing.

Danny clapped Hawkes' back, "She got ya there, man." Hawkes just smiled apologetically at Cassie. "Sorry. Mac needs that report by 2 and I need your results to finish it."

Cassie patted him on the shoulder and said, "No worries, Doc. I was just kidding. I'm actually done with it." She lit up. "Tell you what, I'll run down to Trace and grab the folder and you see if you can scrounge me up some lunch from that pile. I'm actually starving."

Hawkes immediately agreed. "Sure. Anything for the woman who'll get Mac off my back," he answered, smiling at Cassie.

Cassie bathed in Hawkes slow smile. She hadn't seen him in a while. He didn't come by the Trace Lab much these days. Now that they've buried the hatchet, she was looking forward to getting to know Dr. Sheldon Hawkes. She had sensed that he might be attracted to her. But now she was confused cause he hadn't made a move. He hadn't even _tried_. Whatever. It was always nice to get to know the guy first, right?

"Alright," she answered. "Be back in five." Then she turned and walked out of the break room.

Hawkes watched her walk away, smiling to himself. Then he turned back to the table and saw the rest of the group staring at him in speculation.

Jordan was the first to speak. "Were you checking her out?"

Hawkes reddened. "No, I was not."

Lindsay chimed in, "Yes, you were. You were totally checking her out. Right, Stel?"

Stella answered apologetically. "Told ya, Hawkes."

Hawkes rolled his eyes to cover his embarrassment. _Was I that obvious?_ As though answering his silent question, Danny said, "You were totally checking her out."

Flack joined in, "Yeah, man. It was totally obvious." He thought to himself for a while and added, "You know, Messer, this might be the first time we've actually seen Hawkes check out a woman."

Danny pondered it for a second and agreed. "Yeah. He's always the cool, silent one."

Lindsay arched her eyebrow at Danny and said, "And you are?"

Danny answered quickly, "The faithful one," smiling so angelically at her that she couldn't help but laugh, making Jordan and Flack laugh as well in agreement.

Stella noticed that Danny and Lindsay wore identical expressions on their faces. It was a mixture of happiness, peace and tenderness that doubled when they looked at each other. She also noted the easy way that they sat together, and the sexual tension of the last year and a half was now gone. _It's about time_, she realized with a smile. She quickly pushed her thoughts to the present issue. She could grill Danny and Lindsay later. Right now, she was after bigger fish.

Stella held up her hand to stop the laughter and said, "Hey, let's get back to Hawkes." She pointed her chopsticks at Hawkes and asked sternly, "So, _Doc," _she continued, emphasizing the nickname teasingly, "you and Cassie seem to get along now."

Hawkes shrugged noncommittally. "I just took your advice, Stel. I made nice and we called a truce." Which is exactly what happened. No need to mention that moment in the lab when he held Cassie's hand a lot longer than necessary and realized that she was a very attractive woman. _Correction, an attractive woman who was dating one of my friends and co-workers,_ he amended mentally.

Stella squinted suspiciously, unconvinced that that was all that happened. She prompted Hawkes to continue by waving her hand, "And?"

Hawkes played dumb, "And… Now we're not fighting. Just like you wanted."

Stella kept on grilling Hawkes, while the others watched on in amusement, "Nothing else?"

Danny leaned towards Lindsay to ask, "What's Stella getting at?"

Lindsay smirked and answered softly, "She has this idea that Hawkes likes Cassie, that's why he reacted so violently to her."

Jordan overheard and chimed in with a whisper, "Just like she did when you tease her," making Lindsay blush and Danny laugh.

Flack leaned closer, "What are we whispering about?"

Jordan smothered a laugh at the curious look on his face and said softly in his ear, "Stella thinks Hawkes likes Cassie, that's why he reacted so violently to her last time."

Flack's eyes lit up in understanding, "Just like these two," he said, motioning to Danny and Lindsay, which made the two couples dissolve in laughter.

Stella finally noticed that they were not helping her grill Hawkes. She glared at the four laughing detectives and said threateningly, "And what are you four lunkheads laughing at?"

Danny answered defensively, "Nothing!"

Stella narrowed her eyes at him and pointed her chopsticks at him and growled, "I'm not done with you yet, Messer," which made Lindsay laugh harder. Stella pointed the chopsticks at her also and said, "You, too Monroe. You're next."

Danny and Lindsay just smiled at each other. Flack smiled smugly at Jordan and wagged his eyebrows at the two. Stella caught the action and turned to him, "And don't think I didn't notice what's going on between the two of you," she retorted, waving the chopsticks between him and Jordan, who turned pink as she smiled at Flack.

Hawkes was saved by Cassie's arrival. She dragged a chair over and squished herself between Stella and Hawkes. She plopped the folder in Hawkes' lap and asked brightly, "So you guys got anything left? I'm not beyond eating leftovers right now. I'm totally starving and I'm sure you guys don't have any diseases cause Mac wouldn't let you in this lab if you did."

Everyone immediately started plying her with various food items. The rest o the lunch hour was spent in laughter and jokes. Pretty soon, they all had to go back to work. As they stood up to make their way back to their offices, Stella suggested, "Anyone up for Sullivan's tonight?"

Danny glanced at Lindsay, who nodded immediately. "We're in," Danny stated, motioning to Lindsay.

Jordan also nodded, which prompted Flack to say, "Us, too."

Stella rolled her eyes in exasperation, "What is with everybody pairing up?"

Lindsay laughed, linking her arm with Stella's. "Come on, Stel. Be happy for us?" she cajoled, smiling sweetly at the woman she considered to be her big sister in the city. Unconsciously, Danny and Flack also smiled pleadingly at her, although they both knew that Stella would definitely be happy for them.

Stella's smile softened and she said, "Of course, I'm happy for you guys." She hugged Lindsay and pulled Jordan into the circle. She put her arms around the two Montana girls and smiled archly at Flack and Danny, who were also smiling contentedly. "Don't let these two go."

Danny and Flack said at the same time. "We won't."

Stella smiled, satisfied. "So let's just meet up there after shift, okay?"

Jordan answered for her and Flack this time. "No problem. Don and I will meet you guys there." They waved goodbye and made their way to the door, Flack's hand resting comfortably on the small of Jordan's back.

Danny glanced at his watch and said, "Come on, Montana. We got reports to finish." Lindsay nodded and waved good-bye to Stella and Hawkes and the two ambled leisurely back to their office.

Stella paused on her way out the door and asked the two remaining people, "What about you two? You game later?"

Hawkes nodded. "Yup, I'm in."

Cassie answered, "Sure. That'd be great."

Stella smiled and said, "Good. Cassie, don't forget to invite Adam, too, okay?"

Cassie gave a mock salute and said, "Yes ma'am!"

Stella laughed and added as she walked away, "I'll call Mac, Sid and Marty and ask them to join us, too."

Hawkes' excitement was a bit dimmed at the thought of Cassie's new boyfriend joining them, but he shrugged it off. _Come off it, Hawkes. You should be happy for them._ _Guess it's just not for me. _He sighed again.

He suddenly realized that only he and Cassie were left at the table. He flashed an uncertain smile at her which she returned. He cleared his throat nervously and said, "Well, I gotta go too, Cassie. Thanks again for the lab results. I guess I'll just see you later." He waved at her and walked out of the break room.

Cassie was strangely disappointed at Hawkes' polite but hurried exit. _I guess I was wrong about him being attracted to me. Oh well. Guess it's just not for me._ Sighing in disappointment, she trudged back to the Trace Lab.

* * *

Find out what's up with Hawkes and Cassie in the chapters to follow. Please don't forget to review cause I live for your reviews:D I hope you enjoyed this one and don't forget to check back in for the next chapter, which should be up by tomorrow. :D 


	14. The One Where Jordan Marks Her Territory

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the show.

Thanks for all the great reviews! This chapter is about the gang's night out at Sullivan's. :D Enjoy :D

* * *

The rest of the afternoon went by quickly. Reports were filed, suspects interrogated, samples analyzed. Before the inhabitants of the crime lab knew it, six o'clock had come. 

At the locker room, Lindsay had just taken off her shirt when Danny walked in. He sent a silent prayer of thanks to the powers that be and quickly snaked one arm around her waist. He covered her eyes with his other hand and kissed the side of her neck. "Guess who?" he teased in his very distinctive New York accent.

Lindsay jumped when Danny put his arms around her, but at the sound of his voice she relaxed. She decided to play his game. She said tentatively, "Ralph?"

Danny grinned and played along, "Nope. Try again."

Lindsay pursed her lips in amusement and continued the joke. "Hmm… Must be my other boyfriend then."

Danny answered, "I bet it is."

Lindsay choked back a giggle, "Mike?"

Danny grit his teeth in frustration. Was she planning to name every man in New York? He sighed in annoyance and whirled her around. "No, it's me, Montana."

Lindsay kissed him. "Damn. With that accent, I was hoping that it was that cutie from that cop show, you know, Carmine what's-his-face."

Danny made an injured frown and glared at her. "So you like that type of guy, huh?"

Lindsay laughed and slid her arms around him, resting on the small of his back. "Yep. That's the way I like them." She studied him more closely, "You kinda look like him actually."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Montana. So you're just with me cause I look like some guy on a cop show, huh?

Lindsay gave him a smile that melted his heart. "Nope. You're cuter." She pulled his head down to kiss him deeply and soon, Danny became all too aware of the fact that they were in the middle of the crime lab's locker room and that his girlfriend was not wearing her shirt.

He pulled away with a groan of frustration, "You wanna skip Sullivan's and go straight to my place?"

Lindsay was also a bit glassy-eyed from the passionate kiss they just shared but she managed a small giggle at Danny's disgruntled expression. "Tempting, but don't you think they'd know where we went?"

Danny raked his hands through his short, sandy-blond hair in annoyance, "Y'know, Linds, at the moment, I don't really care."

Lindsay privately agreed with him, and the innately female part of her reveled in the sensual power she had over a man like Danny Messer. She suppressed a shiver at the thought and instead, gave Danny one last kiss and said, "I know, Messer. Me, too."

Danny's eyes lit up with hope, "So we're skipping Sullivan's?"

Lindsay laughed and said, "You know we can't cause even if we went home, Stella would call us."

Danny groaned again. He really liked hanging out with his friends, really he did. But right now, with Lindsay all soft and warm and tempting in his arms… Well, he was liking his friends a lot less.

Lindsay smiled teasingly at him and said, "Tell you what, I'll make a deal with you." She pulled his head down and whispered in his ear. "On our next day off together, we'll take our phones of the hook and lock ourselves in your apartment for the entire day, just the two of us, and you can do whatever you want with me." She emphasized one last word, "_Whatever_."

As he listened, Danny's eyes widened. When she pulled back, he was grinning widely, like a kid who found out that Christmas had come early.

He kissed her hard and said, "You got yourself a deal, Montana." He reached into her locker and pulled out a shirt, "What are you waiting for? I'm sure everyone's there already."

Lindsay laughed and pulled on her shirt. When she was ready, she slid her hand in Danny's and they walked to Sullivan's.

* * *

Only Stella and Hawkes were at Sullivan's when Danny and Lindsay got there. They quickly ordered two beers for themselves and settled in the booth. They decided to get an extra large basket of nachos while waiting for the others. 

"So where's everybody?" Danny asked, popping a nacho chip into his mouth.

Stella answered him, ticking off her fingers as she spoke, "Flack and Jordan are on their way. Cassie and Adam were finishing up on something in the lab when I went by on my way out, but they'll come straight here. Sid and Marty were in a meeting with Mac, so I just left a message for the three of them."

At that moment, Flack and Jordan entered the bar. Flack had his arm around her shoulders and Jordan was tucked closely against his taller frame. They were laughing as they scanned the room, looking for their friends.

Danny saw them and waved them over. Jordan slipped out from Flack's embrace, but she reached for his hand and pulled him to where the group sat.

Flushed with laughter, they said hi to everyone and sat down. Jordan chose to sit next to Lindsay and Flack crammed himself next to his girlfriend.

"Hey!" Danny protested. "I'm getting squashed here!"

Flack retorted, "Correction, you're getting squashed next to Lindsay. Should you be complaining?"

Danny immediately saw the logic in this statement, and shrugged his shoulders. "Could be worse, I guess."

Lindsay turned to him in mock anger and said, "Hey!"

Danny laughed and pulled her closer. "Kidding, Montana. I love getting squashed up against you," and kissed her softly. Lindsay blushed.

Stella, Hawkes and Flack watched the exchange in surprise and amusement. Who would have thought Danny could be so affectionate? They've worked with him for so long, and they knew that although he was hot-headed, he wasn't much for displays of emotion, let alone affection.

_Guess Lindsay really was good for him, _Stella mused, a satisfied smile curving her face.

Flack changed the subject, "Is Mac coming?"

Stella nodded. "Yep. I cornered him this afternoon and threatened bodily harm if he didn't come with us. He already missed the last time we went out for drinks and he's not missing this one."

Jordan remarked, "It's really cool that you're actually friends with your boss. In LA, they never allow stuff like that."

Stella shook her head. "No, see, before I threatened him, I made it very clear that I was talking to him as a friend. I said, 'Mac, can I tell you something as a friend?' before I told him that, so that's okay," she nodded firmly to emphasize the point. "That's different."

The others burst out laughing at Stella's audaciousness. Only she could get away with something like that.

Hawkes reached up to flag down a passing waitress and they ordered more nachos. They'd almost gone through the first order and they needed something to nibble on.

By the time the second tub of nachos arrived, Marty and Cassie came through the door and spotted them. They immediately headed over to the table of noisy detectives.

"Hey, everyone!" Cassie said as she plopped down beside Hawkes.

Hawkes was suddenly grateful that there was no space on the other side of the booth, so Cassie had no choice but to sit next to him. But that also meant that Marty would be sitting next to her and frankly, he didn't really want to be beside the happy couple.

Stella noticed that Marty didn't sit down. "Marty, have a seat."

Marty shook his head and grinned, "Nah. I just stopped by to walk Cassie here. I can't stay, cause I got a hot date tonight." He waggled his eyebrows in expectation.

Hawkes was suddenly confused. Wasn't Marty with Cassie? Why is he going out on a hot date with another girl? A shaft of hope shot through him, but he quickly quashed it.

Stella teased him, "Hot date huh? Who's the new flavor of the week?"

Marty glared indignantly at her and said, "I resent that. I do not date that many women. And if you must know, I met this girl while I was doing research in the NYU library."

Danny butted in with a smirk. "Pino, we got a state-of-the art system in the lab that connects to all major newspapers and information databases in the country. What do you need to go to NYU for?"

Marty tried to look innocent and failed. He gave up and answered, "Cause NYU has a ton of smart and pretty girls."

The girls groaned at the innate maleness of Marty's response and he held up his hands in mock defense. "Hey, I'm not being a chauvinist pig. I said pretty _and_ smart. Emphasis on the smart."

Hawkes asked casually, "Why? No hot girls at the lab for you, Pino?"

Marty answered good-naturedly, "Well, let's see, Monroe here's pretty much taken, even before you two officially started dating," pointing his finger at Danny and Lindsay. "And even before that, there was no way I was getting on Danny's bad graces by asking Lindsay out."

Danny grunted his agreement and raised his beer bottle to Marty, who nodded to acknowledge the gesture. Lindsay just rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's caveman-like response and settled herself more snugly against his side.

Marty continued, pointing his finger at Stella next, "Stella here has refused to go out with me more times than I can count and I figured it was a lost cause." Stella burst out laughing at that.

Marty moved on to Cassie, "Well, I can't take you out, cause you're weird," he said, earning a burst of laughter from her. Hope rose again in Hawkes, and this time, he didn't to anything to stamp it out. _Hmm… This looks promising._

Marty's eyes settled on Jordan and his eyes lit up hopefully. "Are you with him?" referring to Flack. "Cause if you're not, maybe you and I could get together some time."

Jordan laughed as Flack growled at Marty, "Back off, Pino." He draped his arm possessively around Jordan's shoulders and Marty once again raised his hands on a defensive stance and said with a laugh, "I rest my case."

Danny laughed, "All right, Pino. We get it." He waved Marty off, "You go and have fun with your co-ed."

Marty laughed as well and headed out to the bar. "See you around, guys." Before he left, he turned to Cassie and said, "Remember what we talked about okay?"

She nodded and rose to give him a hug. "Bye, Marty. Have fun!"

She settled herself back in the booth next to Hawkes and grabbed a nacho. "Sid and Mac asked me to tell you that they'll do their best to come, but right now, they're debating on something in the morgue. Something about a brain, I think," she finished, picking up a chip loaded with ground beef, cheese and salsa.

Stella gritted her teeth in annoyance and said, "I really need to have a talk with Mac."

Lindsay agreed with her. "Yeah, he's been working so hard lately. He needs to take a break."

Stella immediately launched into a tirade, "I know! I've been on his back to quit holing up the lab and being antisocial. He hasn't been out with us in so long…"

Hawkes tuned Stella out as she ranted about Mac. He found himself studying Cassie Simmons. Her hair was pulled back again, with loose curls framing her face and her brown eyes gleamed with laughter as she listened to what Stella was saying.

Hawkes was unsure when it came to Cassie. He found her attractive in many ways. Physically, he found her appealing. He liked the way her hair curled around her face as it pulled loose from being twisted at the back of her head. Her wide brown eyes were expressive, especially when they were flashing in anger or dancing with amusement and laughter. She also had a great body that made him think of things he really shouldn't be thinking about.

But what was more dangerous was the stuff that he found attractive that had _nothing_ to do with the way she looked. He liked the fact that she was intelligent. Many times, he despaired of ever finding a woman who was his intellectual match.

As a child, Hawkes often found it difficult to connect with other people his age. At the tender age of 8, he had been declared a child prodigy, which made other kids uncomfortable since he was so much smarter than they were. He was soon boxed into the identity of an incredibly smart child.

As he grew older, it became easier to find people who he could level with intellectually. One thing he loved the most about his job, was the people he worked with. They were smart enough to understand a lot of the things he said and they all shared that fascination with science that he had since he was a child. He also appreciated having friends his own age who he could also have fun with, just like now. Never did he regret his decision to leave the ME's office to become a CSI.

But he also learned that finding that oh so special woman who would ignite his brain as well as his heart and body was proving to be difficult. Deep down inside, Hawkes was a romantic and he refused to settle for relationships that were half-baked. Flack and Danny often teased him about being picky when it came to women and he always just shrugged it off with a noncommittal smile and said that he just wasn't interested in meaningless relationships. That remark was often followed by guffaws and snickers from the other two. _Well, look at them now,_ he thought wistfully.

His thoughts turned back to Cassie. He could sense the intelligence in her, see it in her eyes, and feel it in her intensity as she did her job. Even more dangerous than the intelligence, he sensed a hidden vulnerability in her that was shielded by her sharp tongue and fiery temper. Hawkes longed to find out what she was like, to get to know her and understand why she seemed so fragile under all that sass. He also wanted to protect her from whatever it was that she was protecting herself from. He was disturbed by the realization that this protectiveness had never come out with the other women he dated.

Danny's voice cut into his thoughts. "Hey, Hawkes. It's just beer, man. What's wrong?"

Hawkes looked up to find the entire table staring at him. Lindsay looked across the table into his eyes, her lips curved into a knowing smile. He was suddenly uncomfortable. "What?" he asked defensively.

Lindsay smiled like the cat that swallowed the canary. "Nothing," she answered innocently. "It's just that you've been staring at your beer bottle for ten minutes now."

Cassie turned toward him and touched his arm in concern. "What's wrong, Doc?"

Stella laughed, "Don't worry. I've seen him look at something longer than that. There was this one case where he was just staring at this one piece of evidence. He sat there for almost half an hour before he ran out and found the answer to his question."

Jordan looked at Lindsay's expression and quickly caught on. She bit back a smile of her own smile and said, "Well, whatever it was he was thinking of, it sure was important."

Flack and Danny looked at each other over their girlfriends' heads. Both sensed that the girls knew something they didn't.

The conversation quickly turned back to other topics and Hawkes joined in, not wanting to be grilled for spacing out again. His arm still burned where Cassie touched it. He resolved to find out what was going on between her and Marty. He _cannot_ keep having these thoughts about her if she was seeing Marty. _Somehow, I don't think she is,_ he mused, giving in to the hope that unfurled in him.

* * *

Flack bent his head towards Jordan's and whispered in her ear, "What's with you and Lindsay?" 

Jordan looked innocently at him and said, "Why?"

Flack answered, "You know, when we were talking about Hawkes spacing out and stuff? You guys did that secret non-verbal communication thing that girls are so good at."

Jordan laughed softly, amazed that he sensed what she and Lindsay were doing. No man had ever read her as clearly as Don did and they've only known each other for less than a month. "You should know, you and Danny do that all the time," she retorted. "Only with you guys, I call it that caveman thing you guys do when you grunt and you get what the other guy is saying."

Flack chuckled at her description. "No, seriously. What were you guys up to?"

Jordan said mysteriously, "I'll tell you later on the way home."

He let out a long-suffering sigh. "Fine, but you're saying over at my place. I have a feeling this will be a doozy of a story."

Jordan shot him a sassy smile and whispered in his ear, "You bet your ass I'm staying over tonight. Don't worry, though, the story is short."

Flack swallowed, not just because of what she said, but also of the way her breath felt against the sensitive skin of his ear. "So what do we do with the rest of the time when you're done with your story?"

Jordan smiled innocently at him and said, "Guess."

Flack resisted the temptation to haul her out of that booth right then and there to take her home. He took a deep breath and shot her an evil glare. "You _will_ regret teasing me. I'll make you, you know that, right?"

Jordan smiled at him and said, "I know." Then she added, "I can't wait," and smiled saucily at Flack.

* * *

By nine-thirty, the group decided to head on home. Aside from Lindsay and Hawkes, most of them were on call tomorrow, so they decided to call it a night. Flack had excused himself a few minutes ago to go to the bathroom before they left. 

Most of them had stood up from the booth and were just waiting for Flack to get back. He was taking an unusually long time in the bathroom.

Suddenly, Lindsay let out a choked laugh and tapped Jordan's shoulder and said, "Uh… Jordan?"

Jordan turned around, "What's up?"

Lindsay pointed hesitantly. "I think I found Flack."

The entire group followed the direction of Lindsay's finger. They saw Flack wedged up against a corner of the bar with an obviously uncomfortable expression on his face. A blond haired woman in a white tank top and tight faded jeans was pressed up against him.

Flack was scanning the bar anxiously, hoping to see Danny and flag him down to get rescued. No such luck. He had been on his way back from the bathroom when the woman cornered him and struck up the conversation. He had given all the blatant signs that he wasn't interested, but if anything, it made her more persistent. He gritted his teeth. _Dammit. Where the hell is Messer when you need him?_

He made a frustrated sound and swept his eyes through the crowded bar again and this time his eyes locked with Jordan's. In the darkness of the bar, her expression was unreadable. _Oh no. This is not good._ He didn't want Jordan to see him with this woman and get the wrong idea. He totally meant it when he said that he didn't want to see anybody else while he was seeing her. He felt helpless and he fought the urge to bodily push the blond woman away. _Dammit, she's really persistent. _She was now pressing herself tightly against him and there was no more space for him to shrink back.

Hawkes and Danny watched with an impending sense of doom. Danny whistled and said softly to Hawkes, "Wanna bet that Flack's dead in an hour?"

Hawkes' eyes were glued to the scene in front of him. "Make it half an hour."

The women were exchanging amused glances. It was clear to Stella, Lindsay, Cassie and especially Jordan that the woman was the one hitting on Flack, not the other way around.

Stella slid a teasing glance towards Jordan. "So how long are you going to make him squirm?"

Jordan stifled a laugh. "I don't know. This is kind of entertaining."

Lindsay was looking at Danny and Hawkes, "No, _this_ is funny." She motioned to the two men, who were staring at Flack in dread. Cassie looked at them and smothered a chuckle. "They're mentally measuring him for a shroud."

Jordan finally gave in. She sighed. "I never really had the stomach for blood sport. I better go rescue him." She resolutely walked over to Flack and the woman.

Flack watched Jordan walk closer. _Oh no._ He looked helplessly at her and wanted to explain but he wasn't sure how to.

Before he knew it, Jordan had smoothly pushed the other woman out of the way, grabbed the lapels of his suit and kissed him thoroughly. Flack kissed her back in relief. She wasn't mad at him. There was no way in hell that she would kiss him like that and be mad at him. He pulled his arms more tightly around her and fitted her closer to his body, forgetting the fact that they were in a crowded bar and an annoyingly persistent woman was hitting on him less than a minute ago.

They pulled apart after a while and Jordan said softly, "There you are. I thought you were just going to the bathroom. You took so long and I missed you." She slid her arms around his waist and leaned into him and he puller her tighter against him in relief. It was going to be okay.

More confident now, he said, "Sorry, baby. I would have come back sooner, but this lady here had a question."

Jordan raised her brows innocently at the woman and said, "Oh, I didn't notice you there. You were asking my boyfriend something?"

The blond woman saw the naked challenge behind Jordan's eyes and gracefully conceded. "Sorry," she said, smiling apologetically. "Didn't see the 'sold' sign."

Jordan smiled sweetly and said, "Maybe you should look harder next time." She turned her smile on Flack and pulled him from the bar, saying, "Let's go, Don. I want to go home."

Flack smiled smugly at the woman and waved goodbye.

After the exchange, Danny and Hawkes' mouths were hanging open in disbelief, while Stella, Cassie and Lindsay were smiling in satisfaction. As they reached the group, Lindsay said, "Nice."

Hawkes spluttered, "What was that?"

Stella smiled archly at him and said, "That's what we women like to call, marking our territory."

Flack let out a bark of laughter and pulled Jordan into his arms for a hug. "So that's _your_ version of peeing around my desk?"

Jordan nodded proudly. "Uh-huh!"

Flack kissed her and said, "I like it."

Jordan let herself be pulled in for another kiss and whispered in his ear, "I know."

They shared a secret smile before heading outside with the others.

As usual, Stella made sure everybody would get home fine. Danny and Lindsay were leaving together, as well as Flack and Jordan. The only thing to fix would be…

"Cassie, why don't you let Hawkes walk you home?" Stella suggested.

Cassie looked at Hawkes uncertainly and said, "I don't know."

Hawkes jumped in the conversation eagerly. This was his chance to find out once and for all what was going on between Marty and Cassie. "It's no problem," he assured her, smiling cajolingly.

Stella noted that Cassie was wavering and gave her one last push, literally. She lightly shoved Hawkes and Cassie in the direction they should go and said, "Great. Hawkes, make sure she gets home fine okay?"

Hawkes nodded obediently. He turned to Cassie and said, "Let's go?"

Cassie turned back to Stella one last time and said, "What about you? Who will take you home?"

Stella waved her off, touched at her concern. "Don't worry about me. I'm waiting for some friends here. They got off late and we'll walk home together."

Cassie bit her lip and said, "Are you sure?"

Stella nodded her head firmly. "Positive. Now, go. It's getting late. Stay safe, you guys."

With one last round of goodbyes for everybody, Hawkes and Cassie walked away.

Stella smiled in satisfaction and turned to the other two couples and regarded them affectionately. "Keep them safe, guys."

Danny grinned and answered, wrapping his arms around Lindsay. "Will do, Stel. You take care okay? Let us know when you get home safe."

Flack answered, "Yeah, Stel. Thanks again." He smiled down at Jordan.

The two couples headed there separate ways into the cool New York night.

* * *

Hawkes and Cassie kept up a constant stream of conversation on the way home. They talked about random topics: sports, music, where they grew up, what school they graduated from and a lot of other things. 

Hawkes paused in mid-step, turning to face Cassie. "Hold on, you mean to tell me that your IQ is 145?"

Cassie nodded warily. That really wasn't something that she usually told people and she really didn't know why she told Hawkes. People were never comfortable with her intellectual capacities and she learned to live with people being freaked out about how smart she was. But somehow, she knew that Hawkes understood. "Why?"

Hawkes laughed softly and said, "Mine's 148."

Cassie gaped at him and said, "No way!" Then she smiled. "That is so cool."

Hawkes laughed and resumed walking. She followed suit and for a moment, they were silent.

Then Hawkes said, "Cassie, can I ask you something?"

Cassie looked sideways at him. "Sure. What's on your mind, Doc?"

Hawkes looked uneasily at her. He took a deep breath and let the question out. "Are you and Marty seeing each other?"

For a moment, Cassie looked surprised. Then she laughed. "God, no. Why do you ask?"

Hawkes looked a bit uncomfortable and said, "Well… The other day, when I invited you to come out with us, you said you had plans with him and when he mentioned having a date today, I guess I just got a little confused."

Cassie laughed again. "No, Marty and I are friends. We're really tight, though," she answered, crossing her index and middle fingers together to emphasize her point.

Hawkes was still confused. "But how come you let people at the lab think that you're a couple?"

Cassie looked at him thoughtfully and said, "All right, I'll tell you, but you have to promise that you won't tell people about this."

Hawkes flashed her a smile and said, "We never talked about this." He smiled at her again to encourage her to continue.

Cassie stuffed her hands into her pockets and said, "See, here's the thing. When we first met, Marty actually hit on me. He asked me out and I said yes."

Once again, hope fluttered in Hawkes' stomach. "And then what happened?" he asked, unable to repress the slight smile that formed on his lips.

Cassie saw the smile and she had to force herself to concentrate on what she was saying. She took a deep breath and looked away. "So anyway, we went out and we had dinner and coffee and it was great. Conversation was flowing and we had fun and we really got along. It looked really promising."

The hopeful feeling refused to be squelched. Hawkes walked silently beside her, waiting to hear the rest.

She laughed softly and said, "The problem came when we… uh… tried to… uh…" she stuttered, unable to find the right words.

Hawkes teased her gently. "What? Cassie Simmons is at a loss for words? I'm shocked!"

Cassie smiled self-consciously and continued, the words expelling from her mouth in a rush. "The problem came when we kissed."

Hawkes ground to a halt and said, "What?"

Cassie took a deep breath and said, "When we kissed, it just, didn't feel right, I guess," she finished, shrugging her shoulders slightly. "Since then, we decided that we were better off as friends. I keep the clingy girls away from him when he needs help and he helps me screen dates by acting like my boyfriend."

Hawkes' brow furrowed as he tried to figure it out. "But won't that get complicated when you guys meet people you actually like?"

Cassie explained, "See, we figured that when he finds a girl, I'll do my friend thing and talk her up and casually explain who I am. It's not supposed to be that big of a deal."

Just then, they reached her apartment building. They stopped in the doorway of the building, facing each other.

Hawkes prodded, "But what about you? It works when Marty dates a girl, cause you can chat her up. But what if _you_ find someone? The guy will probably stay away cause thinks you're with Marty."

Cassie blushed slightly and answered with a shrug, sliding an uncertain glance towards him, "I guess, if the guy wants to be with me enough, he'd try and find out what was _really_ going on between me and Marty, right?"

Hawkes swallowed, feeling like he was sucker-punched as she looked up at him uncertainly. He made it past the lump on his throat to answer her, "Right," he smiled awkwardly and motioned to her door and said, "It's getting pretty late and you should get some rest."

Cassie fiddled with the strap of her bag. "Okay. I guess... Thanks for walking me back."

Hawkes said softly, "It was my pleasure. Bye, Cassie. I'll see you tomorrow."

Cassie smiled back at him and said, "See you tomorrow, Doc."

She was walking up the steps when she heard Hawkes call out her name. She turned back to him expectantly. "Yeah?"

Hawkes walked swiftly up the steps and he said, "You're right. A guy _would_ try to find the real story." With that, he leaned down and kissed her lips softly. "I asked, Cassie." He gently pushed her into the building and said, "Good night."

* * *

This is one of the longest chapters so far. How did you like it:D I'm focusing more on Hawkes and Cassie getting together, with a lot of D/L and F/J moments. I look forward to your comments and reviews cause they brighten my day! Thanks again to all those who reviewed:D I hope you enjoyed this one. 


	15. The One Where Cassie Visits the Morgue

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the show.

Okay, when I wrote this one, was down and I wasn't able to read your reviews and find out what you thought about the last chapter. I hope you liked it though, and I hope you like this one, too.

This is probably just more fluff on the couples. No heavy stuff on this one as yet. Like I said, I'm just going to follow the couples around in their day to day lives. :D Please don't forget to review:D (I feel so bad cause I didn't get to read any fanfics today. Sniff.)

* * *

In the past week, Danny's and Lindsay's apartments were never both occupied at the same time. Either Danny spent the night at Lindsay's or vice versa. This time, since Lindsay had the day off, they decided to spend the night at Danny's.

Lindsay was usually a morning person. She always woke up early, especially when she was able to get a good night's sleep. However, in the past few days, she had become very fond of staying in bed. It was actually an enjoyable experience, especially when one was sharing the bed with Danny Messer.

That morning, despite another tiring, but thoroughly enjoyable evening spent with Danny, Lindsay was surprised to find herself awake at six-thirty. She lay quietly in Danny's arms, enjoying the feel of his body wrapped around hers.

When they started sharing a bed, Lindsay was surprised at how affectionate Danny was, at how much he enjoyed touching her and being touched and not necessarily in a sexual way. He loved hugging her, or smoothing his thumb on the soft skin of her wrist or just feeling her pressed up against his side when they sat together. He seemed to especially enjoy the feeling when their hands and fingers were linked together. Just like they discovered during the doll hospital case, they were a perfect fit. _In oh so many ways, _Lindsay thought dreamily, smiling to herself.

Her head shifted on the pillow to look at Danny. He was still sleeping soundly, his blond hair mussed and his lashes spiky against his cheek. He really had beautiful eyes. She savored the peacefulness of the moment and took her time studying him.

She shivered as she remembered the way the stubble of his beard felt against her skin. She loved it when he rubbed the rough softness of it on her neck and kissed the sensitive skin afterwards.

He shifted in his sleep and reached out instinctively for her, tucking her closer into his body and burying his face in the crook between her neck and shoulder. She smiled in response to his unconscious need to be physically close to her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the alarm clock on her side of the bed. It was nearing 7 am, when the clock would ring and wake Danny so that he could get ready for work. This morning, Lindsay reached out and turned the alarm clock off. She had a better way to wake him up.

She pushed him back gently so that he was lying on his back. Then she leaned down and started nipping at his ear. She blew softly into the sensitive shell and felt him respond to her in his sleep. He mumbled slightly and tightened his arms around her and suddenly flipped her over so she was lying on her back, pinned beneath him.

He kissed her long and hard and deep. After a while, he pulled back and smiled affectionately at her, "Morning, Montana."

Lindsay smiled back at him and pulled his head back down for another kiss. "Morning, Messer."

When they pulled apart, Danny looked down at her and felt his heart tighten in his chest. _I can't believe she's with me,_ he thought, amazed that someone like Lindsay would choose to be with a person as tainted as he was.

Lindsay teased, "Penny for your thoughts, Messer."

Danny murmured, "I was just thinking about how lucky I am to be with you."

Lindsay smiled contentedly at him, "Probably about as lucky as I am to be with you."

He bent his head down for another kiss. He really did love kissing her. He loved the feeling of her breath mingling with his, the simple intimacy brought on by pressing her soft lips to his. He figured he'd enjoy spending the rest of his life kissing her.

Lindsay pulled back after a moment to catch her breath. "See, now that's a great way to start the morning."

Danny grinned boyishly at her then glanced at the clock. He groaned and said, "Damn." He turned back to her and kissed her one last time. "Well, as much as I'd like to spend the rest of the day here in bed with you, Montana, I have to get ready for work."

Lindsay sighed, unwilling to let go of the intimacy of the moment. She reluctantly withdrew from Danny's embrace.

While Danny took a shower, she groped along the floor and found the shirt he had discarded the night before, as well as her underwear. She pulled both on and went to stand by the window, watching New York City in the early morning light. She was deep in thought about what to do with her day when Danny came out of the shower.

The first thing Danny saw when he came out of the shower was Lindsay standing next to his window, clad in nothing but her panties and his T-shirt from last night. He appreciatively took in the view and admired her slight form. She really was different from the other girls he used to date. Most of his old girlfriends were tall and well-endowed, with blond hair and that obviously sexy look that caught men's glances in the street.

Lindsay was of another class altogether. Her legs weren't supermodel long, but they were long enough to wind around his hips when they made love and her breasts fit just right when he cupped his hands around them. He loved that her beauty wasn't obvious. It wasn't the kind of beauty that made jaws drop. It was a beauty that did not come with being blessed by good DNA, but of her character. She was sweet and smart and strong and feisty, the kind of woman whose simple beauty made a man think of love and babies and forevers.

Danny stopped for a moment, shocked by the direction of his thoughts. Then he relaxed. He knew deep inside him that what he felt for Lindsay was light years away from the way he felt about the women he previously dated. This was a relationship that was unlike his previous ones, where he would smoothly detach himself when things got too complicated. With Lindsay, he knew he couldn't and wouldn't do that.

Danny smiled and walked over to where Lindsay was standing. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, breathing in her scent. He tickled her by blowing on her neck. "Whatcha thinking about, Montana?"

She leaned into him, "Nothing really deep. I was just thinking of the stuff I need to do for today."

Danny nodded and asked her, "So what have you got so far?"

Lindsay cast a sideways glance at him and said, "Well, for starters, I need to go back to my apartment and change."

Danny looked doubtfully at her, "I don't know, Montana. You look way better in that shirt than I do." She laughed and said, "You want me to walk around New York dressed like this?"

Danny frowned. "On second thought, yeah, go home and put some clothes on. Lots of them, okay?"

She laughed again and continued ticking off tasks while running her hand along Danny's forearm, which was around her waist. "Dry cleaners, pay bills, groceries." She thought for a moment and said, "Yeah, that's pretty much it."

Danny answered, "Don't forget to get some rest okay? You should make the most of your day off. You've been pulling long shifts the past week, plus we haven't exactly been sleeping at night, not that I'm complaining."

Lindsay smiled at him and said, "I don't really mind the long nights." She turned and headed for the shower. Danny followed her in and continued the conversation. He liked the intimate feeling of being in the bathroom with his girlfriend. He shook his head ruefully. He'd never had the desire to wake up with his former girlfriends and now here he was, taking pleasure in being in the bathroom with Lindsay, _without_ being in the shower with her.

"Hey, Danny," Lindsay called out from inside the shower.

Danny answered, "Yeah?"

"You want to have dinner at my place tonight?"

Danny teased, "Only if you cook."

Lindsay said, "No problem."

Danny walked back into the bedroom, grabbed his wallet, phone and badge and strapped his watch onto his wrist. Checking the time, he said, "Montana, if you hurry, we have enough time for me to walk you home before I go to the lab."

"Great," Lindsay said, stepping out of the shower, with rivulets of water still flowing over her body. "I'm done. I just need to get dressed."

Danny took a deep breath and looked away. Now was not the time to get distracted by Lindsay's wet, naked body. He cleared his throat and stepped outside to give her some privacy and to give himself some time to recover.

As Danny walked out, Lindsay smiled to herself. _Damn, he's really easy._

* * *

In another New York City apartment, two more of New York's finest were also getting ready for work.

Flack and Jordan stepped out of the shower, both flushed and not from the heat of the water. Flack grabbed a towel from the rack and handed it to Jordan and grabbed another for himself. He wrapped it securely around his waist and headed for the bedroom. Jordan called out, "Don, what time is it?"

Flack glanced at the clock and answered, "Don't worry, it's still early. We have enough time to stop by your apartment so you can go change."

"Good," he heard Jordan say as she stepped out of the bathroom, wearing only a towel. She started hunting around the bed for the clothes she wore last night. She bent over to grab one of her shoes that got kicked under the bed and the towel hiked up, exposing more of her thigh.

Flack couldn't resist and he walked over and pulled her up, fastening his lips to hers in a slow, thorough kiss. Jordan reached up to twine her arms around his neck, tiptoeing and molding herself to his taller frame as the kiss slowly burned between them.

After a moment, they pulled away, breathing heavily. "Damn. We should have gotten up earlier," Flack muttered.

Jordan suppressed a smile at his disgruntled tone and expression. "And why is that, Detective Flack?"

Flack sighed and answered grouchily, "So I coulda had my way with you one more time before going to my boring job."

Jordan teased, "Boring, huh? So you think your job sucks?"

Flack paused for a moment, pretending to think, "Nah. Not really. I just got a new partner and she's really hot. I think I'm going to ask her out."

Jordan laughed at that and pushed lightly at his shoulder. "Let's go, Detective. The city waits for us."

Flack groaned like a kid and said, "Fine." He let out one last annoyed grunt and got up to get dressed.

* * *

It had been a busy day but somehow, Cassie managed to find time to run down to the morgue. She's been antsy all day and she needed someone to talk to.

She was half relieved that Hawkes had the day off today. The other half of her was dying to know what that kiss meant. She really didn't know which side she wanted to listen to.

When she got to the morgue, she found Sid Hammerback diving into the latest delivery. She approached him and said, "Hey, Sid. Have you seen Marty anywhere?"

Sid looked up distractedly, "Huh?"

Cassie repeated her question.

Sid started, "Oh! Marty! I think he's in the back," he answered, jerking his head vaguely towards the ME offices.

Cassie said, "Thanks!" and started walking quickly towards the office. She found Marty inside, filling up a report.

She dropped down dramatically on the chair in front of his desk and said, "Oh, thank god you're here!"

Marty looked up at Cassie and said suspiciously, "Why? Did you do something stupid again?"

Cassie looked uncomfortable as she answered, "I don't know. I wasn't actually the one who did it."

Marty looked confused and she quickly described what happened with Hawkes the previous night.

"I explained very nicely, that if the right guy came along, he'd take the time to ask what the deal really is with you and me. And then he agreed with me and we said good night and then he came back and said that he asked and then he kissed me," she finished, the words flowing like a torrent from her mouth.

Marty frowned as he tried to keep up with the story, "Whoa! Slow down a minute. So you told him about us and that the right guy would take the time to ask about us right?" She nodded. "And then you guys said good night and he came back to say that _he_ asked and then he kissed you, have I got that right?" She nodded again.

Marty leaned back in his chair with a big smile across his face. "He likes you, Cass."

Cassie leaned forward, uncertainty apparent in her eyes. "You think?"

Marty rolled his eyes and said, "Cass, he kissed you."

Cassie blushed as she remembered.

Marty continued and said, "He wouldn't kiss you if he didn't like you. You can ask Stella and the others if you don't believe me." He looked knowingly at her. "Isn't this a good thing? You like him and he likes you."

Cassie fiddled with the pens on Marty's desk. "He didn't actually say that."

Marty rolled his eyes again in exasperation. "Cassie, he won't tell you yet. But let me tell you, Hawkes won't kiss you for no reason. He's not like that. Contrary to what you may perceive about the men in this lab, they don't hit on random girls with no reason, especially Hawkes."

Cassie shifted in her seat. "So what do I do now?"

Marty asked, "Have you seen him yet?"

She shook her head. "No, he's off today."

Marty mused, "I guess that's good, give you guys both time to absorb what happened." He considered it for a minute. "Maybe you should see how he plays it. Right now, technically speaking the ball's in his court."

Cassie took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. She stood up and walked around the desk to give Marty a hug. "Thanks, dude. You so rock."

Marty chuckled and said, "No problem, Cass." He took a longer look at her and asked, "You really like him huh?"

Cassie took another deep breath as she answered softly, "Yeah. I really do." She smiled at him again. "Thanks again, Marty. I'll keep you posted," she called as she waltzed out of the office.

Marty chuckled softly to himself and he said, "I'll be waiting, Cassie." Whistling softly to himself, he wondered how he could help those two along. _I think it's time to have a talk with Lindsay._

* * *

How did you like that? Sorry it's such a short chapter. In the chapters to come, I'll have something on the NYPD Christmas Ball. Watch and wait for that:D Thanks again to all reviewers. I'm off to watch 'Sweet Sixteen':D Please don't forget to review! 


	16. The One With Marty's Secret Plan

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the show.

Sigh. I was so disappointed by 'Sweet Sixteen'. Is it too much to ask for them to have a conversation? Sigh. Anyways, here's another chapter in the lives of our favorite detectives. I'm just going where inspiration takes me. Thanks for all the reviews! Don't forget to let me know how you find this one. :D

* * *

Hawkes stood outside the crime lab, undecided about whether he should go in or not. Technically, he wasn't supposed to be here, cause it was his day off. He usually enjoyed days off. They were a rare blessing in a job that held no hours. It allowed him to sleep in, read, watch errands or do most of the stuff he wasn't able to do when he was on the clock.

But this afternoon, he found himself dying with boredom in his apartment. Nothing on TV was appealing, he didn't feel like reading a book, and he had finished running all his errands that morning. He jumped up, grabbed his jacket, phone and keys and went for a walk.

For an hour, he walked aimlessly around the city. He didn't have a destination in mind. He just allowed his feet to move around. Then suddenly, he found himself standing in front of the lab.

If he was going to be completely honest with himself, Hawkes knew exactly why he was there. He wanted to see Cassie. Problem was, he wasn't sure what he was going to say to her.

He knew he caught her off guard last night when he kissed her. He didn't blame her. He was caught off guard too.

He liked Cassie. He liked that she was intelligent and funny and sassy and strong-willed. He liked that she made him respond in ways that no one ever had before. She was also great company and the fact that she was beautiful was an added bonus.

Hawkes stood there for a long time, feeling like an idiot. He wasn't sure what to do. _Should I go in or not? What if I see her? What do I say to her?_ Being confused was a relatively new experience for Hawkes. He was often the kind of guy who was sure of himself, who always knew what to do in every situation. But he had never been in a situation that involved Cassie Simmons before.

Hawkes pulled himself out of his reverie and retraced the steps back to his apartment. He didn't want to face Cassie without understanding exactly what it was that he wanted. She deserved better than that.

* * *

That same afternoon, Danny and Lindsay were holed up in their shared office, catching up on the mountain of reports and paperwork that they had accumulated in the past few weeks.

Danny groaned and pulled his glasses off, rubbing his hand across his eyes in exhaustion. "Damn. I hate paperwork."

Lindsay glanced up sympathetically and eyed her own desk with distaste. "I know." She shook her head and wondered aloud, "How in the world did we manage to not finish these many reports?"

Before Danny could answer, Marty Pino knocked on the glass doors.

The two detectives looked at each other in surprise. Shrugging in surprise, Danny raised his hand and motioned for Marty to come in.

"Hey, guys," Marty said. "Are you busy right now?"

Danny and Lindsay took one look at the papers on their desk and at each other. Both answered at the same time, "No."

Marty caught their train of thought and laughed. "I hear you guys. Listen, I'll make this quick." He looked around furtively, to make sure that no one could see them.

Danny was amused by Pino's theatrics. "What's the matter, Pino? Someone after you or something?"

Marty looked back at them and took a deep breath. "I actually need your help with something important, but it's a secret okay?"

Lindsay was intrigued. "Sure, Marty. What is it?"

Marty repeated firmly, 'I mean it. This is really, really important and I need to know that you guys won't tell anybody." He turned to Danny, "You can't tell Flack and especially Hawkes," and then he turned to Lindsay, "and you can't tell Stella, Jordan and especially Cassie."

Danny and Lindsay exchanged a look, confused by the urgency of Marty's request to keep this conversation hush-hush. Lindsay asked gently, "Why are we not allowed to tell them Marty?"

Marty snorted, "I know for a fact that there are no secrets inside this lab, especially with you guys." He started ticking off his fingers, "First, you can't tell Stella cause she has a big mouth but if you ever tell her I said that, I will deny it vehemently and find a way to hurt you guys. You can't tell Flack, cause he has a big mouth too, but you can tell him that, cause I already told him that before. You also can't tell Jordan, cause she's with Flack and we both know there are no secrets between two people who date. And you _especially_ cannot tell Hawkes and Cassie because this is about them and if they find out that I told you two, they would kill me. Do you understand what kind of a combination that is? Cassie will find the most violent and painful way to murder me and Hawkes will help her hide the evidence. Now do you understand why you cannot tell anybody?"

The two detectives looked a bit dazed by Marty's lengthy explanation and they were silent for a moment. Then Lindsay smiled and said, "So this is about Hawkes and Cassie, huh?"

Marty nodded, "We never talked, okay?"

Lindsay nodded, "Got it."

Marty saw the smirk on Danny's face and said pointedly to Lindsay, "And this one?"

Lindsay assured him, "Don't worry. I promise you he won't tell."

Marty nodded, relieved. "Okay, so are you guys ready for this?"

At this point, Danny let out an exasperated sound, "Alright, already, Pino. Get to the point."

Marty took a deep breath and started his explanation. "Okay. See, remember how Hawkes and Cassie got into a big fight last week?" Both detectives nodded. "Well, we all know that they made up already and they're okay with each other. They get along and stuff." He quickly told them the rest of the story, explaining the strange friendship that he and Cassie had, what happened last night when Hawkes walked Cassie home and the conversation he and Cassie had earlier in the morgue. "I came here the first chance I got cause I needed help."

Danny asked, "What kind of help do you need from us?"

Marty answered quickly, "I need you to help me get them together."

Lindsay smiled, the wheels in her head already turning. "Okay. So let me get this straight. Cassie likes Hawkes." Marty nodded. "And Hawkes likes her back." Another nod from Marty. "And you need our help getting them together." She grinned widely, "Awesome."

Danny interjected, "Hawkes kissed her?"

Marty nodded again.

Danny let out a whistle. "Wow! This is huge. In the time that I've known him, Hawkes has never so much as looked twice at a girl. He doesn't even go out much and he mostly spends his time alone."

Marty agreed emphatically. "Exactly. Which is how I knew that he _really_ should get together with Cassie."

Lindsay smiled again, "Sounds do-able. Since they like each other already, we just need to give them a push in the right direction. Make sure they spend a lot of time together, right?"

Danny and Marty nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

Marty looked at both of them gratefully. "Thanks, guys. I'll help on the Cassie end and you guys get Hawkes, okay?"

Danny answered, "Gotcha, Pino."

Marty turned back one last time and warned them again, "Don't –"

Lindsay and Danny chorused, " – tell anyone." They laughed and Lindsay said, "We know, Marty. Now get back to work."

Marty chuckled and headed back down to the morgue.

* * *

After the Carl Meyers incident, word got around the station house that Jordan Addison was dating Don Flack. It wasn't such a big deal if two cops who were partners were seeing each other. Hell, it's happened before. Having a partner meant literally trusting a person with your life, which makes it easy for them to jump from a working relationship to something else. It was also difficult to spend most of your time with a person of the opposite sex without developing feelings for each other. So it was hardly a surprise when Flack and Jordan decided to start seeing each other.

Still, Flack and Jordan got the customary talk from Chief Roberts. The talk was similar to what Danny and Lindsay got from Mac. Keep it professional while on the clock, whatever you do in your own time is no one's business.

Flack and Jordan nodded their heads like the good cops they were. What Chief Roberts was saying was not different from the agreement they had between them. They assured him that they would do their best and that they wouldn't let their relationship get in the way of their jobs. Chief Roberts wished them both the best and sent them back to work.

It didn't stop the rest of the people in the station from teasing them about it. Since Jordan had been at the job for less than a week, many people had yet to meet the woman who managed to snag one of the most wanted guys in the NYPD.

By the end of the day, Jordan had heard so many teasing remarks that she was glad when the time came for her and Don to go home. She was a bit quiet as they walked down to the parking garage.

Flack noticed her unusual silence. Jordan wasn't a talkative person by nature, but he sensed that she was thinking about something. As they drove to his apartment, he slid a glance at her and said, "Something on your mind?"

Jordan looked at him for a moment and then shook her head. "No, I'm alright."

Flack said quietly, "It's okay you know, if you wanna talk to me about what's bothering you."

Jordan sighed and smiled slightly. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just a little overwhelmed by all the attention we got today."

"Is it making you uncomfortable?" Flack asked uncertainly.

Jordan smiled at him reassuringly. "I'm okay. I guess I just need to get used to it. I never really knew that seeing my partner could be such a big deal for some people."

Flack sighed in relief. This was something that can be fixed. "Don't worry," he said, reaching for her hand. "It'll die down in a while. You know how people are."

"Yeah," she agreed. Switching topics, she asked him, "So what are in the mood for tonight?"

Flack thought for a minute. "No preference, really. I just want to spend time with you, I guess."

Jordan teased him, "Don, we've been together the whole day."

Flack answered, "I've been wondering about that. Does it bother you that we're together all the time?"

Jordan looked at him. "Why? Does it bother you?"

He shrugged. "Not really. Cause when we're together at work, it's work, y'know? I'm with my partner, not my girlfriend so it's different."

Jordan was secretly relieved. Although they only started seeing each other, she did worry about how Don would feel about being with her all the time. She didn't want him to feel too crowded or tied down. "Same for me, I guess. When we're on the clock, it's all about work." She fiddled with her seatbelt and added, "But, you know, anytime you want to go and hang out with Danny and the other guys, it's okay."

Flack smiled at her and said, "You getting rid of me already?"

Jordan laughed, "You know what I mean."

Flack laughed with her and answered, "Yeah, I do. Same goes for you. You need girl time, just let me know and I'll even call Lindsay and Stella and Cassie for you." He reached out across the car to pull her closer.

She readily slid across the bench seat of the SUV and snuggled up to him as he drove. She traced her finger lightly on the muscles of his strong thigh, which flexed repeatedly as he drove. "So what are you in the mood for tonight?"

Flack looked down at her with a glint in his blue eyes, "Lady, you don't wanna know what I'm in the mood for right now."

Jordan blushed and retorted, "I meant _food."_

Flack laughed and said, "Oh! Food. Yeah, that." He thought for a moment and said, "How about I make you dinner?"

Jordan looked up at him in surprise. "You cook?"

Flack nodded proudly. "Yeah. I pop something in the microwave and it comes out all nice and delicious."

Jordan burst out laughing and said, "Alright, so it's pizza, then."

Flack laughed with her and said, "Sounds good."

* * *

By seven in the evening, Danny and Lindsay still hadn't left the lab. They made an agreement during lunch that they would get rid of all the paperwork cluttering their desk before the day ended and they were sticking to that promise.

They decided to order a pizza for dinner. They both figured that they would be there for a while and they were both hungry. At seven-fifteen, their pizza came and they went to the break room to eat. They ate enthusiastically, talking about the work they did for the day.

After demolishing the pizza, they sat comfortably on one of the couches in the break room, with Lindsay's feet curled into Danny's lap.

Lindsay set down her soda can on the floor and shifted position on the couch so that she was sheltered under Danny's arm. "How's your progress on those reports?" she asked, tilting her head to look into his tired blue eyes.

Danny smiled down at her. God, he loved her so much. She was the only one who could make staying in the crime lab to do reports remotely worth it. The only thing that kept him going that entire afternoon of slogging through paper was the thought that they would get to go home together that night. He answered, "I'm nearing the end. Just two more forms to go. How 'bout you?"

Lindsay said, "I finished the last before the pizza came." She slid him a teasing grin, "Just waiting on you."

He laughed as he remembered the time when she said the exact same words to him, back when they were racing with each other to analyze a piece of evidence and she beat him to it. He kissed her softly, "You don't have to wait for me, you know."

Lindsay pulled herself up so that she could wind her arms around his neck and kissed him back. "I know, Messer. It's just that it gets awfully lonely in the apartment without you."

Danny laughed, a warm feeling of contentment passing through his very bones. "Well, why don't you help me with the last two forms so we can get out of here?"

At that moment, one of the night shifters came in and saw them cuddling on the couch. She laughed and said teasingly, "God! Get a room, you two! You're at work!" She waved and walked out of the break room.

Danny called after her, "Just so you know, we're off the clock already."

Lindsay smothered a grin and got up. She turned back to grasp his hands and pull him back to their office. "C'mon, Messer. I'll help you with those forms so we can go home."

Danny got up and placed his arm around her shoulders. He asked, "Home to your place or home to mine?"

Lindsay thought for a moment, "We stayed over at my place last night."

Danny nodded his head and said, "Right, so I guess it's my place for tonight."

As they entered their office, Danny casually said, "Linds, I've been thinking."

Lindsay stopped and turned to him. _This must be serious. He never calls me by my name unless it is._ She placed her hand on his arm and asked, "What is it, Danny?"

Danny shuffled his feet and mumbled, "Why don't you just move into my place?"

Lindsay wasn't sure she heard him correctly, "What?"

Danny immediately backed off. "You don't have to, if you don't want." He started babbling, "It's just that we pretty much spend the night at each other's place every day and every day there's one apartment that's just useless but it's okay if you don't want to and you probably think it's too soon, but I kinda like the idea of us living together, but like I said if you don't want to it's okay, well, there…" He trailed off, looking at her uncertainly.

Lindsay couldn't help it. She laughed at the expression on his face and slipped into his arms, hugging him tightly. She pulled away after a moment and looked into his eyes, which were now very confused.

She teased him, "So you want me to move in with you?"

Danny looked tentatively at her and said, "Only if you want to."

Lindsay asked him, "Are you sure, Danny? This is a pretty big step for us."

Danny took a deep breath and said, "Well, if you're not ready for it, then it's okay with me. But I'd like it if you _would_ move in with me."

Lindsay smiled lovingly at him and said, "You said that four times already."

Danny looked back at her in bewilderment, "I'm not quite following you, Montana."

Lindsay grinned at him and said, "You told me four times that it's okay if I don't want to."

Danny frowned. "Oh."

Lindsay grinned again and said, "What if I want to, is that okay, too?"

Danny broke out into his usual cocky grin, "Definitely."

Lindsay laughed and pulled his head down for a kiss. "Let's do it then."

Danny hugged her tightly and said, "I love you, Montana."

Lindsay whispered against his neck. "I love you too, Danny."

They managed to finish their reports on time and leave the lab in another half an hour. As they walked home, Lindsay asked Danny, "By the way, how come I'm moving into yours and you're not moving into mine?"

Danny, as always, had a practical answer to her question. "Well, for one thing, my place is much closer to work. Plus, we don't have to pay for rent cause the apartment is paid for already, so we get to save a lot of money since we're only paying for utilities and stuff."

Lindsay stopped and stared at him, "You _own_ your apartment?"

Danny shrugged. "It's not a big deal. I try not to advertise it. My dad actually bought the apartment for me when I turned legal. Despite what people say, he was always happy that I didn't go into the family business. He always told me that in his time, he had no choice cause that's the way of life back then. So, when I graduated from the academy, he bought me this apartment, to get me out of the old neighborhood."

Lindsay slipped an arm around his waist as they resumed walking and looked up at him, "I guess there's so much I don't know about you, especially about your family."

Danny smiled at her and said, "Don't worry, Montana. I'll tell you more about them soon. Don't want to scare you off just yet."

Lindsay laughed and said, "Hey, I'm not going anywhere."

Danny tightened his arm around her and said, "Good. I kinda like having you around."

They were back at his place in another fifteen minutes. Danny tossed his keys on the counter, checked the mail and then followed Lindsay into the bedroom. She was already in the bathroom getting ready for bed.

By the time she came out, she was wearing one of his shorts and her tank top, looking absolutely delicious. Danny hurriedly took his turn in the bathroom, emerging in nothing but boxer shorts. Lindsay was already in bed, waiting for him.

He lifted the covers and slid in beside her. He reached out for her and she came to him willingly, fitting the contours of her body to his. He stroked her bare arm as she drew invisible tattoos on his bare chest.

Then Danny leaned up and propped himself up on one elbow so he could look down at her. "I got a great idea, Montana." He was smiling wickedly.

Lindsay looked at him, intrigued. "What?"

Danny explained excitedly, "See, I'm thinking, this is a great time to get back at Flack for making us help Jordan move in."

Lindsay followed his line of thought and laughed as she said, "Alright, tomorrow, you find out when his day off is and I'll ask Jordan to help us so that he can't say no."

Danny grinned smugly and said, "Great." He leaned down to kiss Lindsay goodnight and soon, he forgot about everything else.

* * *

Well, this is it for tonight. I'll have more by tomorrow. :D How did you like this one? No Hawkes/Cassie interaction just yet. Hawkes is still trying to figure out what he wants. Please don't forget to review:D Thanks and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :D 


	17. The One With the Crime Scene Replica

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the show.

Another day in the life of a New York City CSI.

Like many times before, Danny and Lindsay were pulled out of their much needed sleep by the sound of their buzzing phones. Lindsay turned on the light on Danny's nightstand as Danny reached over to grab their phones. He handed Lindsay's phone to her and checked the caller ID on his.

Danny sighed and turned to Lindsay, "I've got Mac here. Who's on yours?"

Lindsay looked at her phone and said, " Jordan."

They flipped their phones open at the same time.

"Mac, what's up?"

"Hey, Jordan."

They listened to the people on the other line. Danny reached out to link his fingers with Lindsay's as they talked to Jordan and Mac.

"Alright, Mac. We're on our way."

"Got it. We'll see you in a bit."

After disconnecting the calls, Lindsay looked at Danny and asked, "Strip joint?"

Danny nodded and answered, "Yep. Brooklyn. Looks like we're working the same case again, Montana." He chuckled and said, "Mac said that he had a feeling you were with me, but he had Jordan call you to be sure."

Lindsay laughed as she got up from the bed. " Jordan said the same thing, but that's cause she heard you over the phone."

They got up quickly and got dressed to go to the crime scene, an alley behind a strip joint. Mac met them and said, "Lindsay, you go with Jordan to check out the body. Danny, perimeter's yours. Meet up with Flack and see what info they got." He checked his watch. "I have to go, I'm meeting Hawkes and Stella in Manhattan."

Flack approached Danny and said, "Ready, Messer?"

Danny nodded and he suddenly remembered something. "Hey, Montana," he called out to Lindsay as she walked to the Jordan and the body.

Lindsay turned back and tipped her head at him. "What's wrong?"

Danny said, "Don't forget to ask Jordan about that thing okay?"

Lindsay looked at Flack and nodded with a laugh. "Will do. I'll see you later."

Flack looked suspiciously at Danny's happy smirk. "What's going on, Messer? What does Lindsay need to talk to Jordan about?"

Danny smirked again, amusement brightening his eyes. "Oh, don't you worry, Flack. You'll find out soon enough."

Flack didn't like the happy look on Danny's face, but he shrugged it off. He decided to ask Jordan about it in a while. "Whatever, Messer. Let's go."

Lindsay walked towards Jordan and the body, her kit in her hand.

Jordan greeted her brightly, "Morning, Linds."

Lindsay smiled at her. Jordan always was a morning person. Lindsay wondered how she and Flack ever got along, since Flack hated waking up early. "Morning, Jordan. Whatcha got for us today?"

Jordan indicated the DB, a young woman lying face up on pavement. She was wearing a skimpy string bikini that was decorated with a tuft of fur, similar to a rabbit's tail. Her open eyes stared vacantly and caked blood was drying on her forehead.

"What's her name?" Lindsay asked, stopping to scrutinize the wound on the victim's head.

Jordan answered, "According to the manager, this here is Snow Bunny."

Lindsay's head jerked to look quizzically at Jordan. "I hope to the powers that be that that's not her real name."

Jordan laughed and replied, "Apparently, that's her screen name. She's a dancer in the club." She continued, "Her real name is Nikki Jansen. According to the manager, she's nineteen years old, an NYU student and has been working at the club for two months."

Lindsay paused in the act of taking pictures and looked at Jordan again, "A student at NYU? Here in this club?" Jordan nodded to confirm the information. "Pays the tuition bills."

Lindsay shook her head in dismay. "That is so disturbing."

Jordan agreed with her, "Yeah. It makes you want to start saving up right this moment for your kids' tuition money, huh?"

Lindsay answered, "I know." She snapped a few more pictures of the body and asked, "Who found her?"

"One of the waiters did. He was hauling out trash and found her here," Jordan explained. "According to the manager, she just finished her set about an hour ago and she was pretty much done for the night."

Lindsay nodded and took the last of the pictures she would need of the body. "I'm going to start processing the immediate area around the body. You guys heading back to the station?"

Jordan answered, "Yeah. We'll try and dig up some information about the people we interviewed on the scene."

Lindsay replied, "Alright." She stood up to face Jordan. "By the way, when do you and Flack have a day off?"

Jordan thought for a moment. "Saturday. Why? What's up?"

Lindsay smiled shyly at her friend and said, "Danny asked me to move in with him."

"That's great, Linds!" Jordan exclaimed. "So you guys are going to live together?"

Lindsay nodded, smiling at her friend's enthusiasm. "Yep. Thing is, we wanted to ask for some help in moving my stuff to his apartment."

Jordan immediately offered her and Flack's services, just as Lindsay hoped.

Lindsay smiled gratefully at her friend, "Thanks, Jordan."

Jordan asked her with a smug grin, "Can I tell Don?"

Lindsay laughed and said, "I think Danny might want to be the one to tell him that. But don't worry, we'll definitely tell him today." She caught sight of Danny waving at them. "Come on, I think our men want to have a word with us."

As they approached Flack and Danny, Lindsay caught him raising his eyebrows at her in silent question, _Did you ask her yet?_ Lindsay smiled and nodded at him. Danny's face immediately broke out into a devilish grin as he turned to his friend.

When Jordan and Lindsay reached them, Danny casually said, "Hey, Flack. Guess what?"

Flack answered, "What?"

Danny said, "Lindsay and I are moving in together."

Flack grinned in congratulations at his best friend, thumping him on the shoulder. "That's great, Messer." Then he turned to Lindsay and asked her in mock seriousness, "Are you sure about this, Monroe? Messer here can be a pig a lot of the time. He'd drive you nuts."

The women laughed as Danny turned Flack's attention back to him. "That's not all."

Flack replied, "What else? She pregnant already?"

Danny laughed heartily as Lindsay turned scarlet, "Not yet, you moron." He gestured to Jordan, a decidedly evil grin wreathing his face, "Your girlfriend here kindly volunteered your services to help me and Montana move her stuff into my apartment."

Flack groaned and turned to Jordan, "You didn't!"

Jordan shrugged, "Hey, they scratched our back, we scratch theirs."

Flack groaned again, glaring at Danny this time, "Dammit, Messer, this was your brilliant idea wasn't it?"

Danny nodded proudly, not bothering to hide the smug smile on his face. "Of course! Told ya I'd get you back for the last time."

Flack turned imploring eyes to Lindsay, "Aww… Linds… Do I have to?" he whined like a six-year-old boy.

Lindsay laughed and smiled innocently, "Flack, you aren't even going to be there for us when we take this very important step in our relationship?"

Flack glowered at Lindsay and grumbled, "You've been hanging out too much with Messer." He glared at Danny and jerked his thumb at Lindsay. "She wasn't that mean before."

Danny, Lindsay and Jordan just laughed at him.

Jordan reached for his hand and pulled him closer, sliding her arm around his waist. "C'mon, Don. We owe them," she said, looking into his stormy blue eyes.

Flack looked back at her and found himself weakening. He sighed deeply and put his arm around her shoulders. He turned back to Lindsay and Danny and said, "You guys are lucky that I like her this much."

Jordan laughed, a blush tingeing her cheeks. "We'll see you guys around ok? Keep us posted on the case."

Danny nodded and said, "Will do. Thanks again, Addison."

Lindsay chimed in, "Thanks, Jordan. We'll call you."

She and Danny watched Jordan and Flack walked away. Danny shook his head in amazement, "I bet you anything they move together in the next month."

Lindsay looked at him, a calculating gleam in her eyes. "What makes you say that?"

Danny pointed out, "Lindsay, she has the man agreeing to help move stuff twice in the last week. And I don't know if I made this clear the last time, but Flack _hates_ moving."

Lindsay considered what he said and replied, "I know he likes her, Danny. That's kinda obvious and I'm not blind. But I think Flack is taking his time with Jordan."

Danny cast a challenging glance at her. "Wanna bet that they move in together within the next month?"

Lindsay grinned at him. "You're on, Messer. What does the winner get?"

Danny thought about it for a moment. "Fifty bucks, and the right to say 'I told you so'."

Lindsay laughed, "It's a deal, Messer."

Danny said, "Okay, if Flack and Jordan decide to move in together before December 15th, then I win. If they decide to move in together after the 15th, then you win."

Lindsay answered, "Alright." Then she glanced at her watch and said, "Come on, Danny. Let's finish up here, so we can get back to the lab and start processing the evidence. I want to ask Hawkes and Cassie to join us for lunch."

Danny nodded, remembering the deal they made with Marty. "Yeah, that's right. We're trying to get those two together."

Lindsay laughed and replied, "Uh-huh. We've got a busy day ahead, Danny, so we better get started."

* * *

Meanwhile, at the other crime scene, Mac was staring at something. He arrived at the scene about twenty minutes ago and found a lawyer who bled to death on top of a pile of papers in his Manhattan office. On the corner of his table was a most peculiar object.

It was an exact replica of the crime scene, down to the papers scattered under the dead man's head, to the blood pool that leaked from the knife wound on his chest to the floor.

Mac frowned. Something about this case rang a bell in his head.

Stella noticed that Mac had been staring at the box for a particularly long time. Why he was staring at is was understandable. It was an odd thing to find at a crime scene. But there was something about the way that his brow furrowed that told Stella there was more to it than that.

She approached him and laid a hand on his arm in concern, "Mac, what's wrong?"

Mac finally remembered where he encountered this before. "Stel, I think I read something about this already from the Vegas Crime Lab."

Stella was confused. "What? This happened before?"

Mac nodded. "Yeah, Gil Grissom sent an interesting email to all the Crime Lab supervisors, asking for input. Grissom is the night shift supervisor of the Vegas Crime Lab. I think they've had two cases like this already." He glanced around and said, "Would you bag this for me, please? I think I should go back to the lab and try to find that email and maybe get in touch with Mr. Grissom."

Stella reached for the small box and said, "No problem, Mac. Hawkes and I will meet you at the Crime Lab."

Mac smiled briefly at her. "Thanks, Stella."

Stella smile back and answered, "Let us know what you find out, okay?"

With one last nod at Stella, Mac went back to the Crime Lab.

* * *

That's it for now. As you probably have guessed by now, I'm thinking of doing a crossover with the Vegas team and have Warrick and Nick come over to NYC. How did you like this one? Who do you think would win the bet? Danny or Lindsay? How will they get Hawkes and Cassie together? Watch out for more days in the lives of our favorite detectives:D Thanks for all the great reviews. :D 


	18. The One Where Mac and Grissom Talk

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

Okay, time zones have never been my strong suit, so please bear with it if there are inconsistencies in the time line. I did the best I could. :D

Plus, I think it was mentioned by one of the reviewers that Sara was one of the people who did the two cases in Vegas, but I think Warrick and Nick would be a more interesting mix to the NYC crew.

* * *

Back at the Crime Lab, Mac immediately turned to his computer to find the email from the Vegas supervisor. He scrolled impatiently through the messages until the found what he was looking for. He read through the email quickly and typed a reply. _Mr. Grissom, here are some pictures from our latest crime scene in NYC. We need to work together on this one._ He quickly uploaded the pictures that Stella and Hawkes took that morning.

Mac thenclicked to another website and found the number that he was looking for. He grabbed his phone and punched it in, his impatience unnoticeable to anyone watching. But deep inside, Mac was thinking, _Pick up, dammit._

Soon enough, someone picked up at the other end of the line. "_Grissom." _

Mac answered, "Mr. Grissom, this is Detective Mac Taylor. I'm the supervisor of the NYPD Crime Lab and I have something that may interest you. Can you check your email right now?

On the other end of the line, Grissom was a bit confused, but he said, "Of course, Detective Taylor."

Mac replied, "Thanks. And if you need to talk, please call me at this number." He disconnected the call and sat down to wait.

Less than 5 minutes later, Mac's phone rang again. "Detective Taylor, this is Gil Grissom of the Las Vegas Crime Lab."

Mac smiled slightly and replied, "Yes, Mr. Grissom. I assume you've seen the pictures."

The two supervisors talked about the basic details of the case for a while, ending with a resolution.

Grissom said, "So I'll be sending two of my people there. I'll put them on the first flight I can get and I'll call you back with the details."

Mac responded, "Thank you, Mr. Grissom. I'll make sure that my team takes care of them for the duration of their stay in New York."

Both disconnected the call.

* * *

Across the continent, Grissom sat quietly, thinking of who to send for this case. This was a pretty big case. He closed his eyes briefly and ran through the roster of his people. Greg and Sara were working on that body dump in the desert, so he couldn't send them. He debated between Catherine, Warrick and Nick. He knew Catherine didn't like going out of town because she didn't like leaving Lindsey alone for long period of time. So that left Warrick and Nick. He quickly sent two messages and waited in his office.

A few minutes later, Nick and Warrick walked through his door.

Nick walked in, saying, "What's up, boss?"

Grissom replied, "Do you remember that case where the murderer left replicas of the crime scene?"

Warrick and Nick both nodded, glancing at each other uncertainly. _What was this about? _

Grissom rubbed his eyes wearily and said, "Well, they have a similar case over in New York. I just got off the phone with the supervisor."

Warrick answered, "Wow. That psycho's going cross-country."

Nick asked, "So, what's the plan, Gris?"

Grissom smiled briefly and said, "Well, you're going over to NYC to find out."

Nick looked at Warrick. "We're going to New York?"

Grissom nodded. "Yes. For the next few days, you'll be working with Detective Mac Taylor and his team. He'll make arrangements for you guys."

Warrick asked, "So when do we leave?"

Grissom raised his eyebrows slightly and said, "Next flight to New York leaves in four hours. I've booked your flights." He waved his hand at them. "Go home and pack for about a week, then let me know when you guys reach New York. Your tickets will be waiting for you at the airport."

Warrick and Nick nodded in response and exited the office quickly.

* * *

Back in New York, Mac sent two messages, telling Hawkes and Stella to come to his office as soon as they got back to the lab.

He sat in his office studying the pictures of the crime scene and mulling over the possibilities. About half an hour later, Stella and Hawkes knocked on his door.

Mac looked up from the computer and waved them in. They stood in front of his desk expectantly.

Hawkes was the first to speak, "So, Stella told me that they had something like this in Vegas."

Mac nodded. "I just got off the phone with Gil Grissom. He's the night shift supervisor in Vegas." He tilted his head slightly and continued, "They've had two cases of this already. The first one was a musician named Izzy Delancey and the second one was a 65-year old named Penny Garden who was killed inside her house."

Stella nodded. "Okay. So what's the plan?"

Mac answered, "Grissom is sending two of his team members here to help us with the case. He shuffled through his desk, finding the scrap of paper where he wrote the details. "Warrick Brown and Nick Stokes will be here by this afternoon. I've already booked the hotel for them. Since you guys are working with them, I think you should be the ones to pick them up and show them around while they're here."

Stella smirked, "More out-of-towners? Danny's gonna love this."

Hawkes laughed, "Well, it's good we're getting help. This case just shot up my list of all-time creepy cases, right next to the one with exotic cuisine."

Mac smiled at both of them. "Bring them by my office when they get here, okay?"

Stella and Hawkes nodded. "Will do, Mac." They waved goodbye as they exited, "We'll see you."

* * *

Meanwhile, Danny and Lindsay were back at one of the labs, going through the evidence they collected from Snow Bunny's crime scene.

Danny squinted at the bikini top that he placed under the UV light. "I got a print off the suit, Montana." He quickly snapped a few pictures of the print that became visible and uploaded it to the computer, where he sent a program to scan through the database to find matching prints.

He turned back to the table and examined the top again, scraping off a substance for trace. Across the table, Lindsay was combing through the fluff that was attached to the back of the swimsuit bottom and collecting it in an evidence bag, another sample for trace.

Danny glanced around to see if there were people around. Nope. They were all alone in the lab. "Y'know, Montana. I bet you'd look great in this."

Lindsay blushed at laughed, "You bet? I _know_ I'd look great it in."

Danny choked on his own drool and croaked out, "So would you ever wear something like this?"

Lindsay glanced at him, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She answered nonchalantly, "For a roomful of guys, no." She smiled temptingly as she added, "For you, Messer, I could be persuaded."

Danny made a garbled sound at the back of his throat. The vision of Lindsay in that suit was all too clear in his mind. _Damn, she'd look sexy and cute at the same time._ He took a deep breath and glared at her, "Dammit, Montana. Why d'you have to go and get me all hot and bothered while we're at work?"

Lindsay slid him another teasing grin, "You started it, Messer."

Danny rolled his eyes upward and figured, _Yeah, I pretty much asked for that._ He tried to will away the image of Lindsay dressed up in next to nothing but fluff and tried to think of safer things. _Rats, pigeons, bugs, my mom in a bikini._ He let out a shudder, _That should do it. _

He brought his thought back to the evidence and for the next hour, they concentrated on the items in front of them. When they were finished, they pooled all their findings together.

He went around the table to sit next to Lindsay. She instinctively leaned closer to him as they went over the details of the case.

Danny started the discussion. "Okay, so I got a print off the bikini top. Computer matched it to a print of a guy named Keith Tyler. It says there's a TRO against him."

Lindsay frowned, "What's the TRO for?"

Danny looked doubtfully at the computer. "Doesn't say, but Flack and Jordan could probably pull it up for us." He reached for his phone and hit the speed dial. Drumming his fingers on the table, he waited impatiently for Flack to pick up. After a while he said, "Flack, it's Danny. Can you do us a favor and see what you can dig up on a TRO against a Keith Tyler? His print was on the stripper's swimsuit." He paused for a while. "Yeah, thanks." He snapped his phone shut to disconnect the call. "So what else have we got, Montana?"

Lindsay looked at what she collected. "I got trace samples here from the fluff on her swimsuit bottom, but that's pretty much it." She checked her watch. We can probably head on over to Trace to drop these off and go see Sid at the morgue to see what he got for us on the body."

Danny started picking up the stuff. "Sounds like a plan. Alright, let's go. Hopefully, by the time we get back from the morgue, Flack and Jordan will have something for us on that TRO."

* * *

Flack walked to Jordan's desk and said, "Danny just called. They got a print off Snow Bunny's swimsuit and it matches with the prints of one Keith Tyler. Apparently, he has a TRO, but they don't know why."

Jordan pursed her lips and turned back to her computer. "Okay, let's see what technology can do for us today." She opened a window and typed in the suspect's name and waited. After a few seconds, the computer beeped, signaling a hit.

"Bingo," she said under her breath, her eyes scanning the computer rapidly. After a minute she spoke, "Our vic took out a TRO against Keith. He's been calling her and hassling her at work, so she filed charges against him."

She turned back to find Don staring at her vacantly. She waved her hand in front of his face and said, "Don? Did you hear what I said?"

Flack jerked his head and refocused his attention on her. She was looking at him with a concerned look on her face. He smiled sheepishly at her and said, "Sorry. I was uh…"

Jordan looked at him patiently, "You were thinking of what?"

Flack smiled at her again and said, "You."

Jordan blushed and looked around. Flack quickly said, "Don't worry, it's just us." He walked around her desk to give her a kiss.

Jordan opened her mouth to speak, but Flack cut her off again. "I'm sorry. I know I'm not supposed to do this, cause we're at work, but…" he trailed off. "There," he finished uncertainly.

Jordan burst out laughing and kissed him. She sighed. "I know. This is a lot harder than I thought. I guess since everyone knows we're together, it's not such a big issue. But we really have to try harder, Don."

Flack nodded his head, "Okay. I promise. No affectionate displays at work." He smiled at her one last time and jerked his head towards the computer. "So what were you saying earlier?"

Jordan regretfully turned her thoughts back to work. She repeated the results of the search to Flack, who started jotting down notes in his memo pad.

When Jordan was finished with the data, he slipped the notebook back in his pocket and reached for his phone. He called Danny and told him what they found out. After a while, he turned back to Jordan and said, "Is it okay if I drop you off at the lab so you can follow up some leads with Lindsay? Danny and I need to trail the suspect first and see if we can get him to volunteer to come down with us."

Jordan nodded, "No problem." She grabbed her coat and phone and stood up, "Let's go, partner."

* * *

This is it for tonight. Wait for the arrival of the Vegas CSIs. Many of you followed my train of thought already. The Vegas boys are there to 'stir the soup', but not just between Danny and Lindsay. Watch out for it. :D

No Hawkes and Cassie just yet. I'm still trying to figure out what to do with them. But don't worry. I know they'll be together before the NYPD Christmas Ball.

Thanks for all the great reviews. :D Please don't forget to let me know what you think about this one. :D Enjoy:D


	19. The One With the Guy Thing

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

Nick and Warrick arrive in this chapter. See if your suspicions are right. Please don't forget to review after you read. :D

* * *

Hawkes and Stella headed to the airport to pick up the two detectives from Vegas. On the long ride, they discussed the basic details of the case. Hawkes was relieved that Stella was focused on work stuff and that she wasn't grilling him about Cassie.

What he felt for her was too complicated that even he couldn't understand it. He didn't need anybody, especially not Stella, making a big deal out of it when he couldn't even face Cassie. He didn't _want_ to face her without having a clear idea of what it was that he felt for her. All that he knew was that he felt something for her.

Stella slid an amused glance at Hawkes. For the past few minutes, they'd been discussing the case, but as they progressed, Hawkes grew more and more distracted until he finally trailed off and stared out the window in silence.

Stella started to probe gently. "Sheldon, is there something wrong?"

Hawkes looked away from the mirror and sighed. "Yeah, Stel. I'm fine."

Stella slid another glance at him, "Hawkes, I'm not just being nosy here. If there's something wrong, then you might want to talk to me about it."

Hawkes hesitated. He really wanted to ask for someone's advice, and he'd really appreciate a female perspective on the situation. But at the same time, he didn't want all the people at the lab finding out what did or did not happen with him and Cassie before he had the chance to figure if out.

Stella seemed to sense what he was thinking and laughed softly. "Don't worry, Hawkes. If it's really important, you can talk to me and I won't tell." She reached out to pat his arm. "Is it Cassie?"

Hawkes felt a flush climbing up his neck. Damn Stella for being so perceptive. He sent a prayer to the powers that be that Stella was honest about keeping her mouth shut about this. He sighed again and answered, "Yeah."

Stella glanced at him again, while navigating her way through traffic. "What about her?" she asked gently.

Despite his misgivings, Hawkes found himself unloading the entire story on Stella. He told her about what happened with Cassie at the lab, how he found himself thinking about her in the most inopportune of times, and about what happened the night he walked her home.

All throughout, Stella listened quietly, nodding her head at different points to show that she understood. When Hawkes finished, she stayed silent, gathering her thoughts.

Then she spoke, "Sheldon, have you admitted to yourself that you like Cassie?"

Hawkes nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty much okay with that." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Thing is, I'm not sure what exactly do I want from her. Plus, I'm not really sure if she wants the same thing." He let out a self-deprecating laugh. "What thing? I don't even know what I want from her."

Stella said softly, "You might want to talk to her about that. You never know. You guys might be on the same page and that you're just dodging each other." She smiled in remembrance, "Kind of like what Danny and Lindsay did for a long time."

Hawkes chuckled at that. "I guess you're right, Stel. Don't worry, I'll talk to her." He pointed to the left, "Hey, there's the turn off for the airport."

Stella smiled affectionately at him and said, "I hope everything goes okay." She maneuvered the SUV onto the exit and they headed straight for the airport.

Less than fifteen minutes later, they reached the airport and found a parking space.

Stella slipped on her shades and asked Hawkes, "What time is their flight getting in again?"

Hawkes checked his watch and said, "We're right on time. According to Mac's instructions, their flight arrives in about 10 more minutes. We have just enough time to get to the gate."

The two detectives hastened their pace and they reached the gate just as passengers were stepping out. Hawkes held up a small sign that said 'Brown and Stokes'.

Soon enough, two men stepped out of the gate, scanning the arrival area. One man was about 6'2", well-built with curly brown hair. The other was shorter and stockier, with a nice, friendly smile and kind eyes.

The tall man caught sight of the sign Hawkes was carrying and nudged his friend. Hawkes said to Stella, "I think they found us."

The two men walked over. Stella flashed a friendly smile and said, "Vegas boys?"

The tall man laughed and said, "Yeah. Taylor's team?"

Hawkes laughed as well and extended his hand, "Yeah, that's us. Sheldon Hawkes."

Stella introduced herself as well. "I'm Stella Bonasera."

The two men introduced themselves. The tall man reached for Hawkes' hand and said, "I'm Warrick Brown and this is Nick Stokes." He gestured to the other man, who also held his hand out and answered, "Hey, thanks for coming to get us." He had the faint hint of a Texas accent.

They moved towards the baggage claim carousel and grabbed Warrick and Nick's bags. They headed out towards the car, where Stella told them. "So, we're going to take you guys to the hotel now, and let you guys get some rest. We can start on the case tomorrow when you've settled in properly."

Nick glanced at Warrick who nodded. Nick said pleasantly, "If it's not too much trouble, we'd like to go straight to your lab and see what you guys got."

Hawkes twisted in his seat to look at the two men. "Are you sure?"

Warrick answered this time, "Yeah. It's cool. We'd really like to get a jump start on the work."

Stella shrugged her shoulders and said, "Alright, but just so you guys know, the team would probably like to take you guys out for drinks later."

Nick chuckled and said, "Sounds good to me. You in, Warrick?" he asked, turning to his friend.

Warrick nodded. "Sure. How often do we get to be in New York right?"

Hawkes laughed and said, "Don't worry. While you're here, we'll show you guys around. New York's a great city and we'll try to make sure you don't work too hard at the lab."

Since traffic wasn't too bad, they arrived at the lab another half hour. Stella and Hawkes stowed the bags in the trunk and led Warrick and Nick up to the lab. Stella sent Hawkes to get the case files and asked him to meet the three of them back in her office.

On their way to her office, Stella caught sight of Danny and waved him over. Danny sauntered up to them, a bunch of file folders in his hand. "Hey, Stel," he greeted.

Stella introduced the men. "Guys, this is Danny Messer, another CSI. Danny, this is Warrick Brown and Nick Stokes. They're the CSIs sent over by the Vegas Crime Lab to work on a case with us."

Friendly smiles and handshakes were exchanged all around. Danny confirmed with the two men, "You guys know we're taking you out later, right?"

Nick nodded. "Yeah, Stella already mentioned it. We're game, man."

Danny noted the accent, "Hey, where ya from?"

Nick smiled and answered, "I'm from Texas. I moved to Vegas a few years ago."

Danny nodded. "That's cool. You'd probably get along with my girlfriend. She's from the Midwest."

Stella chimed in, "And Jordan."

Danny agreed, "Yeah. Jordan Addison. Friend of Montana's from college." He glanced at his watch. "Listen, it was great to meet you guys. I'll see you later, ok? I gotta get down to the morgue."

Warrick and Nick nodded. "See you, man."

Danny gave one last wave and hurried off.

Nick gestured to Danny's retreating back. "Nice guy."

Stella laughed and answered, "Yeah. We're a happy team here."

They entered Stella's office at the same time Hawkes did. They immediately clustered around the table and tackled the case.

After an hour, Stella held up her hands and ordered, "Okay. That's it. We need to take a step back." She suggested, "Why don't we all get a cup of coffee in the break room?"

Hawkes immediately seconded the suggestion. He stretched his arms above his head and said, "C'mon, guys. It will help when we look at the case with fresh eyes."

Warrick and Nick followed Stella and Hawkes as they walked towards the break room. When they walked in, they saw Cassie and Lindsay laughing over a cup of coffee.

Lindsay saw them approach and said warmly, "Hey, Stel. Come join us," she invited. "Cassie and I are waiting for my trace results and I dragged her here to have coffee with me."

Hawkes lagged behind the group. He wasn't sure how to act around Cassie, so he hung back, pushing his hands into his pockets as Stella introduced the two newcomers.

"Hey, Linds. Hey, Cass," Stella called out. "These are the guys from the Las Vegas Crime Lab. Hawkes and I are working with them on a serial case." She introduced the guys to the girls. "Warrick Brown and Nick Stokes, this is Detective Lindsay Monroe and this is Cassie Simmons, one of our Trace Lab analysts."

Handshakes were exchanged all around and the girls made casual talk with the boys. Cassie noticed Hawkes just then and she called out softly, "Hey, Doc." She looked uncertainly at him, unspoken questions in her eyes.

Hawkes couldn't help himself. He moved closer to her and said quietly, "Hey, Cassie."

There was a moment of awkward silence until Nick broke it. "So, are you girls joining us later? I heard that we're being introduced to an NYPD tradition later."

Lindsay looked quizzically at Stella, "Tradition?"

Stella laughed, "Sullivan's."

Lindsay grinned and said, "Yeah, I'm in. What about you, Cassie?" she said, turning to the other woman, who was still looking at Hawkes.

Cassie was jerked out of her reverie. She and Hawkes had been staring at each other, both uncertain of what to say, but both unwilling to break the contact between them. She wanted to pull him aside and ask him about what happened, but she was also a bit afraid of what she felt for Hawkes. All her life, she had always been the one in control of the relationship and she wasn't used to feeling unsettled.

She forced a smile and said, "Yeah, I'm game."

Stella wasn't oblivious to what was going on and she tried to smooth it over by saying brightly, "Great! I guess that counts everybody."

Lindsay reminded her, "Have you called Flack and Jordan?"

Stella shook her head. "I was just going to."

Lindsay assured her, "Don't worry. We're meeting them later and I'll just pass on the message."

Stella smiled, "Thanks, Linds."

Lindsay said, "No problem, Stel." She turned back to Warrick and Nick and asked them warmly, "So how long are you guys going to be here?"

Nick felt himself responding immediately to Lindsay's innate niceness and smiled at her. "According to our boss, Grissom, we're here for a week at least. We'll extend depending on how the case goes."

Warrick chose to remain silent and observe the other occupants of the room. He observed that Stella was obviously the big sister of the group. He also noticed that there was some sort of tension between Hawkes and Cassie, although he didn't really understand why. He decided to conduct a little experiment later. He looked over at Nick, who was carrying on an animated conversation with Lindsay. Knowing Nick as well as he did, he knew that his friend was attracted to the CSI.

Nick was unaware of the fact that he had edged closer to Lindsay and was laughing at something that she said. At that moment, Danny walked into the room and noted that the man he met less than two hours earlier was getting too close to his girlfriend for comfort.

He decided to follow Jordan's example from the other night and casually walked over to the group. "Hey, Montana," he said, draping his arm around Lindsay's shoulders. Lindsay looked at him and smiled, sliding her arm around his waist and leaning into him.

"Hey, Messer," she answered with a grin. "Thought you were just going to the morgue. What took you so long?"

Danny laughed and sent another clear, but silent message to the other man by pressing a kiss to Lindsay's temple. "Yeah, I was, but I got held up when Sid started this really weird story about one of the bodies he processed before." He grimaced. "I'm telling you, Montana. You owe me for going down there by myself."

The message was not missed by Nick, who grinned good-naturedly, and held up his hand in silent apology, which Danny returned with a nod and a friendly grin. _No harm, no foul. _

Warrick interjected and asked Lindsay, "Wait. Is your name Lindsay or Montana?"

Lindsay blushed and answered, "It's Lindsay. Danny's actually the only one who calls me Montana, cause that's where I'm from."

Warrick's confusion cleared. "Oh, so you're the girlfriend he told us about earlier. He figured you'd get along with Nick, cause you're both from the west," he explained, poking an elbow into his friend's side.

Lindsay laughed and said, "Yeah, that would be me." She looked back at Danny and said, "So what did you find out from Sid?"

Danny answered, "Vic wasn't bludgeoned to death, like we thought. The head wound did bleed a lot, but it was superficial. If she hadn't been drugged up, then she would probably survived with a concussion at the worst."

Lindsay chewed on her lip thoughtfully. "So Sid sent a sample to Tox to do the bloodwork?"

Danny nodded. "We're waiting for that. Did you know that Flack was supposed to drop Jordan off here earlier and pick me up to go look for Keith Tyler, but I was in the middle of something so she went with him instead?"

Lindsay shook her head. Danny answered ruefully, "Yeah, I didn't know that either. But Flack just called to let me know that they're bringing Keith Tyler in. We need to go to interrogation, Montana."

Lindsay gulped down the rest of her coffee. "Sorry, guys, but duty calls." She grabbed her phone from the table and took Danny's hand as she got up. "We'll see you guys later, okay?"

Stella and the others waved good-bye to Danny and Lindsay as they exited the break room.

Stella grinned at Nick and said, "Sorry. I figured you knew."

Nick laughed and answered, "Aw, it's no big deal. She's just really nice."

Hawkes entered the conversation at that. "Wait a minute. Did you just --?" He motioned to Lindsay's seat and gaped at the other man. "Oh no, you didn't!"

Nick laughed again and explained, "Hey, it's cool." He held up his hands. "I backed off when I realized that Danny's girlfriend and Lindsay were one and the same person."

Stella smirked. "Yeah, and I'm impressed. Danny never said a word."

Nick grinned back at her and answered, "Yeah, it's a guy thing."

Warrick silently decided to put that 'guy thing' to the test. A few minutes later, Cassie excused herself, saying that she needed to get back to work. The rest of the group decided to leave the break room and head back to work as well. They made plans to meet up at the end of shift and go to Sullivan's together.

On their way out, Warrick hung back and approached Hawkes, who had been quiet during the time that the group was in the break room.

"Hey, Hawkes," Warrick called out.

"What's up, Warrick?" Hawkes said with a questioning smile.

Warrick glanced out the door and answered, "Well, I was wondering if there was anything between you and Cassie."

Hawkes looked up at the taller man in surprise. "What makes you say that?"

Warrick let out an amused chuckle. "Well, there's the fact that you two spent the better half of the hour just looking at each other." He quickly said, "I hope you don't get me wrong. It's just that, I don't see a guy looking at a girl in that way unless there are strong feelings involved. And the way I see it, that girl is too fine to be left alone for long." He regarded the other man seriously, "I'm telling you, if you don't do it, someone else is bound to ask her out."

Hawkes was startled by that, "What? Who's going to ask Cassie out?"

Warrick shot a glance at Hawkes and said, "I'd ask her out if you weren't in the picture."

Hawkes looked up at Warrick, alarmed. Then Warrick chuckled. "Yeah, that guy thing works. I'm telling you, man. Ask her out. I might not be so nice the next time."

Hawkes regarded him silently for a moment. Then he broke out into a smile and said, "You're an okay guy, Warrick. I think we're gonna get along just fine."

Warrick laughed and clapped his hand on Hawkes' back. "Go for it, man."

The two men laughed together and made their way to follow Stella and Nick.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :D Please don't forget to review, because they do brighten up my day:D Haha. :D Thanks and have a great day as well:D Watch out for the next chapter, where the team takes Nick and Warrick to Sullivan's. :D 


	20. The One Where Flack & Danny Make a Pact

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

More F/J and D/L action in this one. :D Also, see what happens when Hawkes finally musters up the courage to talk to Cassie. Thanks for all the great reviews:D I missed your reviews:D I hope you like this one as well.

* * *

Danny and Lindsay hurried down to Interrogation. On the way there, Danny looked around to check if there were people nearby. He and Lindsay were pretty firm about keeping it professional while they were at work, because they promised Mac. However, since there were no people around, Danny felt free to sling his arm around Lindsay and tease her.

"Looks like you got a fan there, Montana," he said casually, glancing sideways at her.

Lindsay looked at his with a confused look on her face. "Huh?"

Danny jerked his head towards the direction of the break room. "Nick Stokes. He looked like he was enjoying your conversation."

Lindsay stared at him for a while, trying to understand what he was saying. Then she got it. "Wait a minute, Danny, you don't think…"

Danny tried to look nonchalant, "I'm just saying…"

Lindsay laughed and slipped her arm around his waist to hug him. "Danny Messer, are you jealous?"

Danny tried very hard to control the flush that was climbing up his face. He tried to force an incredulous look on his face. "Me? Jealous? Come off it, Montana!"

Lindsay stopped in her tracks and crossed her arms in front of her, smirking at him.

Danny stopped in front of her and said, "Well… Maybe just a little," he mumbled. When Lindsay laughed, he raised his eyebrows and said defensively, "What?"

Lindsay stepped closer to him and slipped her arms around his neck. She pulled his head down to hers and kissed him deeply. His hands settled on her waist as he kissed her back. When they pulled apart, she hugged Danny tightly. She pulled away, looking deeply into his eyes and said, "I love you, Danny."

Danny, relieved, pulled her close and buried his face in her hair and answered, "I love you too, Montana."

Lindsay slipped her arm through his and teased him, "I can't believe you were jealous!"

Danny glared at her and said, "I was not!"

Lindsay smirked again and said, "You were too!"

Danny retorted, "Were not!"

Lindsay just laughed at his childish response. Danny shot her a grin and said, "Fine, laugh at me now. Let's just wait and see how you like it when a woman gets a little too interested in me."

Lindsay laughed again and retorted, "Whatever, Messer, you were jealous!"

To which, Danny answered, "Were not!"

Lindsay shot back, "Were too!"

They bickered happily all the way to the interrogation room.

* * *

They reached the interrogation room a few minutes after Flack and Jordan did. The four officers stood outside the room, debating whether who should go inside. After a quick coin toss, it was decided that the girls would go in this time.

Lindsay and Jordan strolled into the room, where Keith Tyler was working for them. He did a double take as he saw the pair of lovely young investigators who had come to question him. Tyler smiled slowly and licked his lips. _Damn, I gotta break the law more often. _

Jordan started talking, "Mr. Tyler, I'm Detective Jordan Addison, NYPD, and this is Detective Lindsay Monroe from the Crime Lab. We'd like to ask you a few questions about a young woman named Nikki Jansen."

Tyler's eyes flickered with recognition at the mention of the name. But he did not stop in his perusal of the two attractive young detectives.

In the viewing room, Danny and Flack were not unaware of the fact that Keith Tyler was too obviously enjoying the interrogation. Although both Lindsay and Jordan were completely professional, Tyler was looking at them as though he was going to jump both of them at any minute.

The muscle in Flack's cheek started twitching. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, unconsciously straightening his tall frame. His expression was darkening quickly.

Beside him, Danny leaned forward, a frown marring his forehead as he watched the suspect leer at his girlfriend. Danny took a deep breath and let the air out slowly, thinking to himself. _Montana__ can handle herself. She's being a complete pro. But if that asshole tries to touch her, he's dead meat. _Like Flack, the muscles in his body tensed unconsciously and he got ready to pounce.

A normal person observing the two men would have run in alarm. The two detectives both looked darkly handsome while watching the proceedings in the interrogation room with barely disguised hostility.

Then Flack spoke tightly, "I got an idea, Messer. Next time, either I interrogate with Lindsay or you interrogate with Jordan."

Danny nodded curtly, "Got it. There's no way we're letting both of them face a suspect without one of us ever again."

Flack answered quietly, "We can't tell them about it, though."

Danny agreed. "Yeah." He rolled his neck and shoulder muscles slightly to get rid of the tension. "Doesn't mean we don't think they can handle themselves, right?" he asked, not taking his eyes away from the window.

Flack answered, "They _can_ take care of themselves." He gritted his teeth. "That doesn't mean we have to be happy about it."

Danny just grunted in agreement. Both men continued to watch the proceedings.

* * *

Inside the interrogation room, Jordan and Lindsay were trying to get information from Keith Tyler.

Jordan inquired, "Mr. Tyler, why did Nikki Jansen take out a temporary restraining order against you?"

Keith looked at her insolently before answering, "Nikki and I used to date."

Jordan prompted, "And?"

Keith shrugged, "And we broke up. I tried to smooth things over, get back together with her, but she was already dating some guy and she wouldn't let me come near her anymore. She took out the restraining order."

Jordan continued asking, "So according to the restraining order, you were required to be at least 500 feet away from her, right?"

Keith was still staring at her. Jordan was rapidly getting irritated with the way he couldn't seem to stop staring at her and Lindsay. In fact, his eyes darted back and forth between the two women, as though he couldn't decide who to visually undress first.

When Keith didn't respond, Jordan got fed up and slammed her hands down on the table. She leaned down and said, "Mr. Tyler, do you see that window over there?" She pointed to the big one-way mirror that was across the table.

Keith nodded languidly, his eyes still drifting between Jordan and Lindsay.

Jordan continued in a low, threatening tone, "Behind that window are two detectives who are already wondering about how you're connected to Nikki Jansen's murder. I'm assuming that by now, they are also rapidly getting annoyed by the fact that you are not answering my questions properly and I _know_ that they are getting very, _very_ pissed at the way you keep staring at me and Detective Monroe. So if I were you, I'd cut the crap and start answering my questions."

Keith Tyler looked startled at Jordan's demeanor. Gone was the alluring young woman who walked into the interrogation room. In her place was a hard-assed detective whose flinty green eyes were boring holes into his sorry skull.

He shifted his attention to the other detective, a brown-haired young treat who was sitting silently. He leered at her instead and licked his lips. In a second, Detective Monroe was on her feet and leaning on the table, much like Detective Addison was.

She looked straight at him and smiled dangerously. "You remember those two detectives she mentioned? Not only are they cops who want to know why you violated your restraining order, they are also two men with guns who don't like it when their girlfriends get pissed off. We happen to be their girlfriends. And we're getting pissed off. So are you going to answer Detective Addison's questions or not?"

Keith glanced uncertainly at the one-way mirror. He sighed and conceded defeat. "All right. Back off."

The two women stood straight and scowled at him. Jordan spoke again. "You violated your restraining order when you went to the strip club to watch Nikki Jansen dance."

Keith nodded and said sullenly, "I was just watching. I didn't even come near her."

This time, Lindsay spoke. "You sure about that?"

Keith nodded again.

Lindsay then asked. "So why were your prints on the bikini top that she was wearing when she died?"

Keith looked shocked. Then he pressed his lips together in a tight line and replied, "Fine. I was at the club that night and I talked to her." He held out his hands desperately to the two female detectives. "Look you gotta believe me. I loved Nikki. I loved her so much that I couldn't let her go. I'd never do anything to hurt her."

Jordan interjected, "What happened when you talked?"

Keith pinched the bridge of his nose and laughed bitterly. "Same thing that usually happens whenever I try to talk to her. She brings up that restraining order and tells me to go away. Says she's happy with her life right now. She's been dating a new guy, the manager at that strip club. He's the one who had me thrown out after he found me in Nikki's dressing room."

Jordan made a mental note of the new discovery about Nikki Jansen's boyfriend while Lindsay inquired, "What was your print doing on her bra?"

Keith spread his hands out on the table. "When I went into the dressing room, Nikki was just getting ready for her act. I accidentally bumped into one of the tables and it fell on the floor. I picked it up."

Ten minutes more and the girls decided to let him go. Apart from the print, there was nothing conclusive that would hold Keith Tyler for long.

Flack and Danny met them when they exited the interrogation room. Both had tight smiles on their faces. They were obviously not happy about the way it went.

Lindsay and Jordan exchanged a look. Lindsay went over to Danny and slid into his arms, while Jordan did the same to Flack. The girls took their time reassuring Danny and Flack that they were alright and that it went just fine, that _they _were fine.

It took a superhuman effort for both Danny and Flack to not explode with anger when they remembered the way Keith Tyler looked at Lindsay and Jordan. However, they both had to admit that the girls were never in any real danger.

So Danny chose to lighten the moment by joking, "So, Montana. I thought for a minute that you guys were going to call us to beat him up for you."

Lindsay laughed and said, "You wish, Messer. You know for a fact that Jordan and I did okay."

Flack snorted and said, "You had to threaten him before he opened up."

Jordan reminded him tartly, "No, we threatened him so that he'd stop staring at us and make the interrogation faster. He would have answered our questions eventually. It was just simpler to threaten him."

Lindsay nodded in agreement and said, "For all he knew, we were bluffing, but he believed us." She shrugged. "We just used whatever advantages we had."

Danny sighed. "She has a point there, Flack."

Flack glowered at his friend, "Completely stepping on _my_ point there, Messer."

Jordan interrupted. "Oh, who cares? Point is, we got him to give us more information. We have to look into the fact that Nikki was dating the manager."

Danny agreed. "Why don't you guys go do that for us? Lindsay and I can go back and get the Tox results." He glanced at his watch. "By the way, Stella texted me. We're all meeting at the lobby later."

Flack and Jordan nodded. "All right, guys. We'll see you later."

* * *

The day ended soon enough. At 6 PM sharp, Danny and Lindsay went downstairs to find Stella with Warrick and Nick.

Stella greeted them both. "You're just in time. Do you know where Flack and Jordan are?"

As the men exchanged high-fives in greeting, Lindsay answered, "They left earlier to follow up a lead. We told them to just meet us there."

Stella said brightly, "Great. We're just waiting for Hawkes, Cassie, Marty, Adam and then we can go."

A beeping sound interrupted the conversation. Stella reached for her phone and checked the message. It was from Hawkes. _Stel. I'm taking your advice. Will walk with Cassie to S's. Don't tell anybody. Thanks. _

Stella clipped her phone onto her belt and announced to the others, "Let's just go ahead. The others will meet us there."

Danny nodded, "All right. Let's go." He took Lindsay's hand and they led the group out of the lab and into the streets.

* * *

Hawkes paused uncertainly outside the Trace Lab. He had decided to take Warrick's advice and talk to Cassie. He hoped that she was alone in the lab. Unfortunately, when he peeked in side, Marty was there. Groaning to himself, he rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. _Just go for it, Hawkes._

He pushed the door open and walked into the Trace Lab. Marty and Cassie looked up to see who arrived and saw Hawkes approaching. Marty's eyebrows shot up in speculation and Cassie's heart started pounding.

Hawkes stopped in front of them and said, "You guys on your way out now?"

When Cassie remained silent, Marty answered quickly. "Actually, I just came by to tell Cassie that she should just go on ahead. We were planning to walk there together but I have to finish some stuff and I was just going to try and catch up." He tried to look apologetic as he added, "Hawkes, would you mind walking with Cassie?"

Hawkes smiled and said, "Actually, I came here to see if you left already. I was hoping I could walk you there."

Cassie licked her suddenly dry lips and nodded. "Yeah, sure." She got off the stool. "I'll just grab my stuff."

A few minutes later, she and Hawkes were walking in the cool night air.

Cassie was bursting to ask Hawkes a million questions. But often in her life, she had spoken before she thought and that was always disastrous. Then there was also the fact that of all the guys she had met, none had ever affected her as much as Hawkes did. Never had she been tongue-tied and uncertain. She didn't like the feeling much.

After a while, Hawkes spoke, "You know what Stella said?"

Cassie turned her head to glance at him. "What?"

Hawkes laughed softly and explained, "She said that I got so mad at you that first day at the lab cause I was attracted to you. According to her, I couldn't do my usual calm and collected thing and for the first time in my life, I reacted."

Cassie laughed with him and asked, "What did you say to her?"

Hawkes recalled the conversation. "I spluttered. I denied it as violently as I could." He stopped and turned to face her. "Then later on, I realized she was right."

Cassie looked at him. She let out the breath she had unconsciously been holding in and asked shakily, "What do you mean?"

Hawkes took a deep breath and explained quietly, "For the first time in my life, Cassie, I met a person who made me lose control. I think you're beautiful, funny and smart and I want to get to know you better."

Cassie fought to control the emotions churning inside her. She closed her eyes and tried to gather her thoughts, but they were only focused on one thing: Hawkes.

She reached out tentatively and twined her arms around his neck. He smiled hopefully at her and put his hands on her waist, gently drawing her closer.

Slowly, oh so slowly, their lips came closer.

Just as Hawkes was about to touch his lips to hers, Cassie smiled impishly and said, "So you wanna get to know me huh?"

Hawkes couldn't help it. In the middle of one of the most romantic and heart-stopping moments in his life, he laughed. "Yeah, I wanna get to know you. But right now, I also want to kiss you. Is that okay?"

Cassie laughed along with him and said, "Fine by me, Doc." Then she urged his head closer and kissed him.

They stood there for a long time. They kissed softly, tasting each other tentatively until the kiss grew bolder and needier. After long minutes, they pulled apart, breathing deeply.

Hawkes pulled Cassie to his chest. She listened to the thunder of his heartbeat that matched her own and felt contented all the way down to her toes.

She looked up at him a while later and said sassily, "Just so you know, if you want to get to know me, it has to be just me okay?"

Hawkes chuckled and said, "I don't think I can handle anything more than you."

She smiled in satisfaction and said, "Good." Then her voice softened and she said, "It goes both ways you know. I won't ever ask anything from you that I can't give back freely."

Hawkes hugged her closer and kissed her forehead. "I know, Cassie." He pulled back and said. "I think we better get going. They're probably wondering where we are."

He took her hand and laced their fingers together, both of them feeling a lot warmer despite the chilly night air.

* * *

So what did you think? Let me know:D I wait in anticipation of reviews:D Hope you enjoyed this chapter. I'll follow up with another one soon. :D 


	21. The One Where Mac Knows Everything

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

I'm glad you guys liked the last chapter. This one shows the gang at Sullivan's where they take Warrick and Nick out on their first night in NYC. Don't forget to review after you read okay? I live and breathe for your reviews:D

* * *

It was a large and noisy group of detectives who gathered at Sullivan's. The entire team had shown up to meet Warrick and Nick.

Stella, Danny, Lindsay, Warrick and Nick were the first to arrive. They quickly occupied one of the booths in the back and signaled the waited to connect another table to the booth. Danny and Lindsay slid in on one side of the booth while Stella, Warrick and Nick sat on the opposite side. They ordered the first round of the night.

Danny asked the two other men, "So how's your case going so far?"

Warrick glanced at Nick and sighed. "Nothing so far, man. At least nothing that we didn't know before. All we've pretty much confirmed is that the same guy. Same MO, same materials used in the replicas. But no motives, no suspects."

Nick added, "We can't even find a link yet between the three murders."

Stella rolled her eyes at Lindsay, "Look at them. Out with two beautiful women and all they can talk about is work."

The others laughed in response.

Warrick changed the topic, "So how long have you guys been seeing each other?"

Lindsay answered, "Only a couple of weeks."

Danny couldn't help but add, "But Montana's been crazy about me since she got to New York."

Lindsay raised her eyebrows at that and said, "Correction. _You_ have been crazy about _me_ ever since I got to New York." Still she couldn't help but smile softly at Danny as she recalled all the things that happened between them in the past.

Danny welcomed the subtle way her body relaxed closer against his, or the softening in her expression as she smiled at him. _Damn, I'm crazy about this girl_. Still, he lightened the moment by waving his hand dismissively and said, "Details, details! What does it matter? Point is, we're together."

Warrick and Nick laughed at the two. It was obvious that they were crazy about each other.

Stella took a long swig from her bottle and related. "Just about time!" She shuddered, "They were driving us nuts with their 'will they or won't they' crap." She leaned closer and confided, "We actually had a pool going about when they would get together."

Lindsay interjected, "I still cannot believe you guys bet on us."

Danny chimed in, "Yeah, and we didn't even get anything from it. Who won that bet anyway?"

Stella chuckled, "No one actually got the exact date. When was it anyway?"

Danny and Lindsay looked at each other and smiled in remembrance of that day. After a while, Danny answered, his voice husky and warm, "It was the day before my birthday."

Warrick whistled and said, "Some birthday present!"

Danny grinned and slipped his arm around Lindsay, "Best birthday gift I ever got." She laughed at his comment, but snuggled closer to his side, her hand resting possessively on his thigh.

Lindsay turned her head to more important matters, "So, Stel, who won?"

Stella pursed her lips in thought as she tried to remember. Then she burst out laughing. "I think it was Mac."

Danny and Lindsay's jaws dropped. Danny found his voice first, "_Mac_ bet on us??" Lindsay's eyes widened in amazement. "We didn't even know he knew about it until we told him the other day!"

Danny shook his head and muttered, "Damn, that man knows everything!"

Lindsay answered and said, "Yeah. I think I'm scared of him now." She looked at Danny and they both burst out laughing.

Before anyone could answer, Flack and Jordan arrived.

"Hey!" Jordan exclaimed. "Sorry, we're late, but we got caught up following a lead."

Stella smiled warmly and said, "It's alright. We just got here a few minutes ago." She started the introductions. "Guys, this is Detective Don Flack Jr. and this is Detective Jordan Addison from the NYPD. Flack and Jordan, this is Warrick Brown and this is Nick Stokes. They're from the Las Vegas Crime Lab and Hawkes and I are working with them on the case with the crime scene replica."

Handshakes and greeting were exchanged from all around the table. Flack and Jordan took a seat next to Danny and Lindsay and called for beers. Comfortable among friends, Flack slung him arm around Jordan shoulders and she promptly slumped against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Nick was surprised. "Wait a minute! Are you two…?" He trailed off, motioning to Flack and Jordan, who burst out laughing. Flack answered, "Yeah, we are."

Warrick grinned, "Didn't know there were so many lucky guys in the world."

Nick asked, "So, how long have you guys been together?"

Flack thought about that for a moment, while Jordan sat there, smiling slightly at the question. Flack answered, "About a week after she moved here, so I'd say a couple of weeks." Jordan nodded her head in agreement.

Nick gestured to Danny and Lindsay, "So pretty much the same time these two have been together."

Flack shook his head vehemently, "Oh, no! These two are in a way different league." He leaned closer, "If you ask me, they've been together since that first day at the zoo."

Danny and Lindsay laughed at the memory.

Lindsay remarked, "Yeah, you were so annoying that day."

Danny protested loudly, "Hey! I resent that."

Before Lindsay could answer, Marty and Adam arrived and pretty soon, jokes and jibes were flying hard and fast, and laughter surrounded the group.

* * *

By the time Cassie and Hawkes arrived at Sullivan's, the entire team was there, along with the Vegas boys. They had crammed themselves into a booth and grabbed an adjoining table to make more room.

Warrick was the first to see Hawkes and Cassie. He looked closer and saw that Hawkes was holding Cassie's hand and he smiled broadly. _Damn, I'm good._

Hawkes caught Warrick's eye and sent a silent message of thanks to the other man. Warrick nodded and raised his bottle to Hawkes in a silent toast.

When they came closer, Hawkes extended his hand to Warrick. Warrick, in turn, gave him a high five and laughed heartily. "Look who decided to join us."

Stella turned her head and saw Hawkes and Cassie. Hawkes was smiling broadly and surprisingly, Cassie was blushing. Stella's eyes dropped down and took in their linked fingers and grinned happily. _Three's the charm._

Hawkes and Cassie somehow managed to sit together in the middle of the crowded booth. Beers quickly followed and the conversation turned to the newly arrived couple.

Marty casually got up from his seat and walked over to where Danny and Lindsay sat. He leaned down to whisper, "Looks like we weren't needed after all." The two detectives, who were happy that Hawkes had scrounged up the courage to talk to Cassie, turned to grin at Marty.

Danny then caught Flack's eye and the two exchanged a wicked look, seizing upon the opportunity to tease Hawkes.

Flack leaned closer and smirked, "Where ya been, Hawkes? Everyone's been looking for you. We've been here for ages."

Hawkes grinned good-naturedly at Flack's smug face and said, "We just took a walk."

Danny raised his eyebrows and wiggled them comically, "Oh, is that what they're calling it nowadays?"

Cassie just laughed at him. She decided to bring the spotlight back to Danny and Lindsay. She waved her hand dismissively and said, "Enough about us." She grinned evilly, "So Messer, a little birdie told me that you and Lindsay are shacking up."

Danny and Lindsay's head jerked to stare at her. Lindsay was amazed, "How did you know about that?"

Danny added, "Yeah, we only told …"

Both Danny and Lindsay's heads turned sharply to glare at Flack, who at the moment was trying his hardest to look innocent. Beside him, Jordan was smothering a grin.

Lindsay sighed, "Cassie, does that little birdie's name happen to be Flack?"

Cassie nodded and burst out laughing.

Danny looked exasperated. "I swear to God, Flack. You're worse than my mother. Telling you something is like putting out an APB on the radio."

Flack spread his hands defensively and said, "What? We saw each other earlier and she asked what was up so I told her!"

Nick stifled a grin and said, "See, Flack, when people ask 'what's up?' I think they generally mean, 'what's up with you?' not 'what's up with the rest of the world?'."

Jordan held up her hand, "I would just like to point out that when he told Cassie, I hit him as hard as I could and told him to keep his mouth shut."

Flack looked chagrined as the rest of the group roared in laughter at the sight of Don Flack being put in his place by Jordan Addison.

The conversation then shifted towards getting to know more about the Las Vegas Crime Lab.

Stella leaned forward to snag a nacho chip from the large basket in the center of the table. "So what's your team like?" She tilted her head towards the rest of the group and asked, "Are they anything like these clowns?"

Nick laughed, "Pretty much. Although our boss is a pretty quiet guy. You never really know what he's thinking."

Danny grinned, "Sounds like he and Mac would have a lot of fun together." He explained, "Mac is always one of those guys who have a permanent poker face. He's a great guy though, a decent boss."

Warrick continued the explanation, "Grissom's cool. There are three other members on the night shift with me and Nick." They proceeded to tell the New York people about Sara and Catherine.

Nick interrupted, "Oh and there's Greg, Greg Sanders. He used to be our Trace Lab analyst until he became a CSI."

Flack nodded his head towards Hawkes, who at the moment was talking quietly to Cassie in the crowded bar. "Same as Hawkes. He used to be the ME, but now he's doing fieldwork."

Now Hawkes was oblivious to the fact that they were now discussing his career change. He was full occupied by the gorgeous woman who sat beside him.

There were times that he hated how crowded Sullivan's could get. In the beginning, the team came here cause it was one of those places that not many people went to. But soon enough, more and more people patronized it and more often than not, it was very crowded.

Tonight, Hawkes was grateful for the fact that the place was packed. It forced Cassie to sit closer to him. His arm was curled around her shoulders and she was nestled against his side. She felt good against him. She felt right.

Cassie couldn't get over how comfortable she felt with Hawkes. With him, she felt comfortable enough to let down her guard because she knew there was no need to be tough and put on a front with him. She felt safe enough to be herself and she was lulled by the warmth she saw in his eyes. As she looked at him, she thought, _If I don't watch it, I could really fall for this guy. _

At that instant, Hawkes turned his head to see Cassie gazing back at him quietly and he felt a funny lurch in the region of his heart.

* * *

They called it an early night. All of them were on shift tomorrow, so they decided to head home early. Flack and Jordan left thirty minutes ago to grab a bite before heading home and the rest of the group was going their separate ways.

Danny and Lindsay waved goodbye to the group. Stella turned with a smirk to Cassie and said, "I guess I don't have to worry about you tonight."

Hawkes laughed and slid his arm around Cassie's waist. "No worries, Stel. I got her."

She leaned closer into him and slid her own arm around his waist. "How about you, Stel?"

Stella answered, "I'm taking Warrick and Nick to their hotel, then I'm heading home. I still have their luggage in my car."

Hawkes smiled and asked one last time, "You sure you're okay by yourself, Stel?"

Stella reassured them, "I'll be okay. Plus, I got two strong guys to watch my back," she said, gesturing to Nick and Warrick who were getting their coats. "You guys go on ahead."

With one final goodbye to Nick and Warrick, Hawkes and Cassie headed out of the bar, their arms wrapped around each other.

The walk to Cassie's apartment took no more than 15 minutes. Just like the other night, they talked about a variety of topics and laughed at the most nonsensical things.

Both were disappointed to find themselves at the door of Cassie's building so soon.

She turned to smile at him and said, "This is my stop. Thanks for walking me home, Doc."

Hawkes said, "No problem. Come one, I'll walk you up."

Cassie protested, "No, it's okay. I'll be okay."

Hawkes smiled gently at her and said, "I want to."

She found herself weakening at his smile. "All right."

She took his hand in hers and led him into the building. She lived on the fifth floor, and he took note of which apartment was hers.

She said, "This is where we part, Doc."

Hawkes was still holding her hand, "You want to go out for dinner tomorrow after shift?"

She replied with a soft smile, "Sure. Sounds good."

Hawkes smiled back and reached for her, pulling her close and kissing her deeply. "I'll see you tomorrow at work then. Night, Cassie."

She kissed him back, her arms gripping his waist tightly. Then she pulled back and smiled at him. "Night, Doc."

She pushed the door to her apartment open and slipped inside. Hawkes headed down the hall to the elevators, a bemused grin on his handsome face.

* * *

That's all for today. :D I'll check back in with another update soon. I think I'll send the Vegas guys home in the next chapter. :D How did you find this one? Please don't forget to let me know. :D Thanks for all the great reviews. :D 


	22. The One Where Flack Wouldn't Wake Up

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

This is a bit of a short one with mostly fluff. :D I'll update more by tomorrow. :D

* * *

The next morning, Danny woke up before the alarm went off so he reached out his hand to turn it off before it rang.

When he moved, Lindsay shifted in her sleep and tucked her face in his chest, sliding her arm sleepily across his waist. Danny checked the clock and saw that it was still a bit early, so he decided to let her sleep in for a while.

He was still getting used to opening his eyes and finding Lindsay next to him. With his other girlfriends, mornings were made for hasty goodbyes and hurried exits. But with Lindsay? No. He relished every moment they spent together, and he loved the feeling of having her lying so warm and trusting in his arms. He especially loved it the way she kissed him good morning as soon as she woke up.

Gently brushing a strand of hair away from her face, he decided to wake her up so he could make her breakfast before they went to work. He leaned down and started brushing gentle kisses on her neck and whispered in her ear, "Morning, Montana. Time to wake up."

She stirred sleepily and tried to burrow closer to him. Danny let out a small laugh and continued nibbling on her throat. "C'mon, baby, you gotta wake up now. We have to go to work."

Lindsay sighed and tilted her neck to give him better access. She murmured, "Wow. I like this alarm clock better than the last one." She reached out and brushed his lips with hers. "Morning, Danny."

Danny laughed again, running his hand up and down her side. "I knew you were up, Montana."

Lindsay smiled at him. "Yeah, I was up. But I wasn't about to keep you from _trying_ to wake me up."

Danny reluctantly withdrew from her embrace and rose from the bed. He had on a thin white shirt and his boxer shorts. She took a moment to admire his frame for a while and rolled over to get up as well.

She padded over to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Danny thought she looked adorably sexy in one of his old academy shirts. The shirt that she was wearing this morning had "Messer" stenciled across the back. In the past few days, he noticed that she had a fondness for wearing his shirts to bed. He loved it when she wore his shirts. Especially when she wore nothing underneath but her panties.

He followed her into the bathroom where she stood at the sink. He paused behind her for a moment to nuzzle her neck and then proceeded to take off his clothes to take a shower. Before he stepped inside, he flashed her his most charming grin and said, "Care to join me, Ms. Monroe?"

When Danny started taking off his clothes, Lindsay quickly finished rinsing her mouth to take in the glorious sight of his well-toned body. At his suggestion, she smiled slowly and said, "I'd love to, Messer, but I don't think we'd make it out in time for work." She walked over to the shower to give him a deep, long kiss and asked, "Raincheck?"

Danny grinned broadly and said, "I'll hold you to that." He soon disappeared under the spray of water.

_The day has just started and the man makes me want it to end already. _Lindsay sighed ruefully as she emerged from the bathroom and went over to the drawer where she temporarily stored her clothes. Since she was moving into Danny's apartment soon, they decided to get a headstart by bringing her things over little by little. She rummaged around for a while and found something to wear.

A few minutes later, she took her turn in the shower while Danny got dressed. He headed quickly to the kitchen where he started the coffee and put together a quick breakfast for him and Lindsay. He efficiently scrambled some eggs while popping a few slices of bread in the toaster.

When Lindsay came out from the bedroom, Danny was just putting down the plate of eggs on the table. Her hair was still in damp curls around her face and she was wearing a V-necked purple sweater with a white tank top underneath.

She smiled at him as she sat down at the kitchen table, "Wow! You work fast."

Danny poured coffee into her mug and then onto his and laughed. "You're easy to impress, Montana. Stick around some more and I'll make you the greatest pasta dinner you ever tasted."

Lindsay made an appreciative sound in her throat as the homey smells of breakfast wafted around her. They dug into the simple breakfast with gusto, reading the paper as they ate. Lindsay busied herself with the front page while Danny got first dibs on the sports page.

It struck Lindsay that the scene was so domestically wonderful. She hid her smile behind the paper as she took a long draught of coffee from her mug. It felt nice, the idea of making a home with Danny.

Danny laid down the paper and said, "By the way, Montana, if we get off early tonight, we could run over to your apartment and haul over some more of your clothes. That way, on our day off, we can make Flack do the heavy lifting."

Lindsay laughed and answered, "Sounds like a plan." She glanced at her watch. "You finished eating? We need to get going soon."

Danny nodded. "Almost. Can you do me a favor and grab my badge and phone from my nightstand?"

Lindsay stood up. "Sure." She dropped a kiss on the top of his head as she walked past him into the bedroom.

When she walked out, Danny was holding her coat and waiting for her. "Let's go."

Lindsay asked, "You have the keys?"

Danny jangled the key ring. "Right here."

They exited the apartment and made their way to the lab.

* * *

Jordan walked briskly down the hall to her apartment. She'd awakened earlier than Don did and got a sudden craving for bagels. She decided to head out and get some breakfast for them.

Before she left, she'd tried to wake Don up, with no success. He sleepily buried his head under her pillow and ignored her. She shook her head in exasperation and scribbled a note for him, leaving it on the nightstand. She grabbed her keys and left the apartment.

By the time she got back, Don still hadn't stirred from the bed. She checked the clock and decided that this time, he really had to get up.

She leaned over him and said, "Don? Wake up. We're going to be late."

Don grunted and pulled the covers over his head. Sighing, Jordan reached over to grab her phone from the nightstand and speed dialed a number. A few seconds later, Don's phone started ringing.

He suddenly jerked awake. He blindly felt around for his phone and it stopped ringing. _Damn. _He groaned and found Jordan smirking at him.

"So that's what I need to do to wake you up," she said, perching on the edge of the bed.

Don looked at the clock. He yawned. "Sorry," he smiled at her. "Your bed's really comfortable."

She chuckled and tugged at his hand. "Come on. I got us some bagels."

Don groaned again and reluctantly disentangled himself from the mess of bedcovers. He brushed his teeth and wandered out to the kitchen, where he found Jordan spreading cream cheese over a bagel.

He leaned down to kiss her good morning and settled down to pour himself a mug of coffee. She took a big bite out of the bagel and offered him a bite.

They sat there like that for a while, in companionable silence, eating breakfast and reading the paper.

Just before finishing his coffee, Flack refolded the newspaper and asked Jordan, "You wanna take the shower first?"

Jordan slid him a glance and said, "What? I share my bagel with you and you won't even share your shower with me?"

At that moment, Flack was taking his last gulp of coffee and he ended up choking at Jordan's words.

He quickly gulped the rest of the coffee down and grabbed her hand. "What are you waiting for, Addison? We're running late."

Barely holding back her laughter, Jordan followed him back to the bathroom.

* * *

In the lab, Danny entered the office he shared with Lindsay and dropped a folder on her desk.

She looked at him and immediately asked, "Tox results from Nikki Jansen?"

Danny nodded, resettling his glasses on his nose.

"What have we got?" Lindsay prompted.

"Vic had a large amount of Diazepam in her system."

Lindsay was confused. "Why did she have sedatives in her bloodstream?"

Danny shrugged. "I don't know. But I went back to Sid earlier, and he confirmed that was the cause of death. Her body's reaction to the sedatives made her much susceptible to the damage caused by the head wound."

Lindsay thought rapidly. "So we need to find out how that Diazepam got in her system."

Danny nodded in agreement. "That's what I was thinking. Come on, Montana. We're going back to the bar."

* * *

Stella sighed in frustration as she, Hawkes, Nick and Warrick sat around a table in the layout room. Pieces of evidence and various pictures were strewn around them. Papers filled with scribbles were stacked haphazardly in one corner of the table.

They had been there since 8 am. They had looked at all the details of the case. They analyzed the lives of all the victims and tried to find points of commonality. Nothing.

Warrick rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hand and said, "Let's take a break."

Nick and Hawkes immediately agreed. "Good idea."

Just then, Warrick's phone rang. "Brown."

He listened in silence for a while, a frown creeping over his features. Then he nodded. "Uh-huh. Got it, Gris." He disconnected the call and turned back to Nick.

"That was Grissom," he explained, a grim look on his face. "Apparently, while we've been racking our brains here, our serial killer got busy in Vegas."

Hawkes asked, "Another replica?"

When Warrick nodded, Hawkes muttered, "God, when does this guy even _find_ the time to make stuff like this?"

Stella shrugged. "Beats me." She turned to Warrick. "So what else did Grissom say?"

"We need to go back to Vegas ASAP," he said. "They need all hands on deck. We're taking the first flight out, so if you guys don't mind, we need to go back to the hotel now. We also need copies of all the stuff we got here so that we can link all the others together."

Stella nodded. "No problem. Let's make copies of this and Hawkes and I will take you back to the hotel to grab your stuff. Then we'll drive you to the airport for your flight."

Nick smiled. "Thanks."

* * *

Up to here for now. I'll update by tomorrow. I'm sorry to those who wanted the Vegas guys to stick around longer. I couldn't think of a conclusion for the case yet.

So how did you find this one? I know it's mostly fluff. But I miss having D/L interaction and what with Anna Belknap being pregnant and all, it might be a while.

Although 'Raising Shane' looks promising. We'll see tomorrow, I guess. :D

Please don't forget to review! Thanks again and I hope you enjoyed this chapter:D


	23. The One With Naughty Nina

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

Carrying their kits, Danny and Lindsay walked through the back door of the strip club. They stood there for a moment, surveying the area. Although it was almost 9:30, many of the club's dancers were still hanging out in their dressing room, and several women walked around in various stages of undress as they got ready to head home.

Lindsay shot an amused glance at Danny, who seemed vaguely uncomfortable with the whole scenario.

Danny shifted awkwardly. Who'd have thought he'd be in a room with half-naked women and he'd be freaked out? But then again, he'd never been in a room with half-naked women _and _his girlfriend, who he was beginning to suspect was the love of his life and the woman he'd spend the rest of his life with.

Sneaking a glance towards her, he caught the amusement in her eyes. He grinned despite himself and settled down to the job.

He cleared his throat. "Good morning, ladies. I'm Detective Danny Messer and this is Detective Lindsay Monroe and we're from the NYPD Crime Lab. We have a court order that says we get to look around your dressing room."

One of the women, a tall, gorgeous blonde with DD breasts, chimed in, "Is this about Snow Bunny?"

Lindsay spoke up this time. "Yes. This is related to the murder of Nikki Jansen, so we'd appreciate your cooperation."

Another one of the women, a redhead this time, sauntered over to Danny and stood close to him, running her finger seductively across his chest. "I'll cooperate with you, Detective."

Danny, to his credit, smiled good-naturedly at her before taking a casual step backwards. "Thank you. Would you mind opening your locker for us?"

She sidled closer to him once again, pressing her ample chest towards his side. "Sure, Detective… Messer, is it? You go ahead and open whatever you want."

Danny slid a cautious glance towards Lindsay. He was relieved to note that she didn't look pissed, but more of curious to see as to how he would handle the woman who had plastered herself to his side. He suddenly remembered the comical way Flack looked at Sullivan's the other night and he hoped to God he didn't look as idiotic.

Lindsay was thinking, _He looks a lot like Flack did at Sullivan's the other night._ She stifled a laugh at that thought.

Danny glanced at Lindsay again, his tongue snaking out to lick his lips. He raised his eyebrows at her. _You wanna help me out and pull a Jordan here?_

Lindsay just smiled and shrugged her shoulders at him. _You're on your own, cowboy._ She walked over to the locker marked 'Snow Bunny' and started bagging all the contents.

Danny shot her the death glare as he casually disengaged himself from the woman and walked over to the bank of lockers. He started opening them and looking through the things inside.

The redhead refused to let it go and followed him, drawling out, "What's the matter, Detective? I'm not your type?" She pressed a hand to her generous chest and pouted. "I'm hurt."

Danny was exasperated by now. He ordinarily did not like shooting down women, but this one was way too persistent for her own good. He looked at her and said, "As a matter of fact, no, you're not my type."

Even though this wasn't the response she expected, any reaction from the delicious detective was good enough for her. She leaned on the locker next to the one he was processing. "So what's your type then?"

"Curly brown hair, big hazel eyes that make me drown when I look at them. Small enough and fits me just right. Handles dead bodies really well and looks real cute eatin' fried bugs," he answered, sliding a glance towards Lindsay, letting every ounce of tenderness he felt for her shine through.

In return, she smiled softly at him and for a moment, there were no other people in the room, except the two of them.

The redhead butted into the cozy moment again, "Her?" she asked, thrusting her thumb in Lindsay's direction.

Danny grinned proudly. "Yep, that's the woman who's making me the happiest man in the entire world." He turned back to going through the lockers and pulling stuff out.

He suddenly caught sight of something that was on one of the dressing room tables. It was a sport bottle, the kind used by runners and it had NJ written on it. He frowned and walked over to the table. Danny looked back at the girls. "This belong to Nikki?" he asked, holding up the bottle.

The blonde answered this time. "Yep. That's hers. She keeps it on standby near the stage."

Danny called out, "Hey Montana, we gotta bag this one and send it to Trace."

Lindsay came over and took the bottle from him. "I'm done with her locker. Which ones have you finished?"

Danny motioned to the lockers again, "You can start on the second one. I'm pretty much done with the first."

Lindsay walked over and started rummaging through the second locker. Danny looked around the rest of room.

A few minutes later, Lindsay called out, "Danny?"

He was at her side in a second. "What?"

She flashed a smile at him. "Guess what I found?" She held out an orange prescription bottle.

Danny grinned back and read the label. "Diazepam." He pulled her head to his for a quick, hard kiss and smiled proudly, "That's my girl."

She kissed him back. They agreed to keep the affectionate displays outside of work, but she too found the redhead annoyingly persistent. Plus, there were no other people from the lab around.

Lindsay checked the locker door and looked around the room. "Who's Naughty Nina?"

The room was suddenly quiet. No one answered the question.

Danny flashed his most charming grin and said, "C'mon, ladies. What happened to that cooperation thing we were talking about?"

The women in the room looked at each other, until one of them, a young woman who had dark, curly hair and smooth olive skin spoke up. "She's Naughty Nina," she said, pointing to the redhead, who was now leaning insolently on another table.

Lindsay sighed. "I guess you're coming with us."

* * *

At the interrogation room, Danny and Lindsay questioned the Naught Nina, a.k.a. Nina Jeffries.

She sat there wearing a low-cut tank top that showed off her impressive cleavage, along with jeans so tight they might have been painted on. She tapped her long, perfectly painted nails against the metal table. Well, perfectly painted, except for the thumb, which had a small chip on it.

"What's the Diazepam for, Nina?" Danny asked, squinting his eyes at her.

She looked him straight in the eye and shrugged her shoulders delicately. "I have trouble sleeping at night." She continued in a sultry tone, "You wanna help me with that, Detective?"

Lindsay spoke up, "We just got the results from Nina's water bottle. It had traces of Diazepam on it. You want to tell us how it got there?"

Again, Nina shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. You're wasting your time, Detective Monroe. I'm not telling you anything cause I don't know nothing." She turned her smoky gaze on Danny again. "Now, you on the other hand, can ask me anything you want."

After fifteen more minutes of not getting any useful information from Nina, Danny and Lindsay reluctantly ended the interrogation.

Lindsay shot her a steely glare. She'd had it with this woman. She suddenly remembered the conversation she had with Danny a few days ago, when he said, 'Let's see how you like it the next time a woman pays too much attention to me.'

Yeah, she definitely didn't like it. Although, she had to admit it wasn't Danny's fault. The woman just simply refused to take a hint.

She said in a low voice. "Don't take any sudden trips, Nina. We'll be in touch."

She walked briskly out of the interrogation room and Danny followed her out.

* * *

Back at the lab, they surveyed the new evidence they collected from the dressing room. Danny was examining the water bottle, whose contents confirmed that Nikki Jansen's water had been laced with Diazepam. Lindsay was taking a look at the other stuff, when Danny suddenly said, "Something wrong, Montana?"

Lindsay refused to look at him and instead concentrated on the items in front of her. "Nothing, why?"

He answered cautiously, "Well, you've been kinda quiet ever since we got out of the interrogation room." He prodded, "You wanna talk about it?"

Lindsay raised her eyes to meet his and smiled slightly. "I'm fine. Danny."

Danny looked closely at her. _Wait a minute…_ A smile broke out on his face. He walked over to stand beside her, abandoning the water bottle for a moment.

He lowered his head to look at her. "Are you jealous?"

Lindsay made a huffing noise and said, "Of course not!"

This time, Danny smirked and said, "Yes, you are! You're jealous."

Lindsay glared at him and went back to looking at the evidence.

Danny grinned and pulled her close, whispering, "Come on, Montana. You don't have to be jealous. You're a thousand times more beautiful than her."

"Hmph," she grumbled. She glared at him again and said, "Keep going."

Danny let out a short bark of laughter and whispered some more in her ear. "And you're smarter and sexier and a whole lot more fun and I happen to love you very, very much." He nipped her ear and said, "Plus, her boobs looked totally fake."

That got Lindsay laughing and she relaxed against him. "Go back to work, Messer."

Danny gave her one last kiss and teased, "Admit it, Montana. You're jealous."

Lindsay vehemently denied it and they spent the next few minutes playfully bantering while examining various items.

They stopped when Danny said, "Whoa!"

Lindsay was alarmed, "What?"

Danny was squinting down at the cap of the water bottle. "Come over, here Montana. I gotta show you something."

Lindsay hurried over, "What is it?"

Danny pointed to something inside the cap of the bottle. "See that?" He grabbed a pair of tweezers and plucked it out.

Lindsay grabbed his hand to bring the object closer to her face. "It looks like a paint chip." She grabbed an evidence envelope and held it open so Danny could slip the paint chip in. She labeled it and handed it over to one of the lab techs, "Can you run this for us, please? Thanks."

Around twenty minutes later, the lab tech came back with the results of the paint chip. Lindsay took a look at it and said, "It's nail polish."

Danny read the report over her shoulder and said, "Crimson Tide."

Lindsay's brow furrowed, "Nina was wearing bright red nail polish and there was a chip on the thumbnail. It could have happened when she opened the water bottle."

Just then, Jordan and Flack entered the lab.

"Hey!" Flack greeted.

Jordan said, "We just got back from a chat with the manager. He confirmed that he had been dating Nikki Jansen."

Flack continued, "Apparently, it wasn't a big secret."

Jordan picked up the story, "But not everyone was okay with that arrangement. The manager's ex-girlfriend …"

Flack said, "Nina Jeffries pitched a…" he turned to Jordan, "What's the word the girl used?"

Jordan offered, "A bitch fit."

Flack continued, "Right, a bitch fit, when she found out."

Danny interjected. "Wait, Nina Jeffries was the ex-girlfriend?"

Jordan nodded, "Uh-huh. Manager dumped Nina when he started hooking up with Nikki."

Lindsay smiled slowly, "And we have motive."

Flack and Jordan looked at her in confusion.

Lindsay explained, "Nikki Jansen died because she hit her head and her system couldn't handle the blow cause she was drugged up with Diazepam."

Danny continued the story. "We also found a prescription bottle of Diazepam made out to Nina Jeffries."

Lindsay finished, "And we also have a nail polish chip stuck in the water bottle. That could have come from Nina, we just need to get a sample of her nail polish."

Jordan grinned, "Let's go then."

As the two other detectives made their way out of the lab, Danny hung back, shuffling his feet. Lindsay immediately noticed and asked, "Danny? What's wrong?"

Danny hesitated, "Can you…?" He looked around to check if Flack was still there. "Can you and Jordan just be the ones to question Nina again?"

Lindsay laughed at his discomfort and gave him a kiss. "Sure. But you owe me dinner, okay?"

Danny smiled at her, relieved. "You got it, Montana."

Lindsay grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the lab.

* * *

They managed to get a sample of the nail polish and less than two hours later, they confirmed the match. Nina Jeffries drugged Nikki Jansen.

It was a case of professional and personal jealousy. Not only had the manager broken up with her, Nikki had also started getting more stage time than she did.

In her anger, she drugged Nikki, hoping to make her too sick to dance. Later that night, the two got into an argument about the manager in the alley outside the club. Nina had pushed Nikki and she hit her head.

Lindsay and Danny spent the rest of the afternoon closing the case and filling out the paperwork. Once they finished, they got permission to head out early and made their way to Lindsay's apartment where they started packing more of her stuff to bring to Danny's place.

Before they left the apartment, Lindsay surveyed her things. "We might need to keep a lot of this stuff in storage." Danny glanced around and said, "Yeah, we'll look for one tomorrow."

Lindsay agreed. "Alright, Messer. No more stalling. I heard somewhere you owed me dinner."

Danny grinned and said, "That I do." He reached for her hand and started pulling her out of the apartment. "Since I love you so much, I'm not taking you out."

Lindsay raised her eyebrows at him and said, "Really?"

Danny nodded and said, "Uh-huh. Even better than that. I'm making you dinner."

Lindsay smiled in appreciation. "So, whatcha making me tonight, Messer?"

As they walked out of the apartmen, Danny started describing the dinner he was planning for her. By the time they reached the door of the building, Lindsay's stomach was rumbling. "Come on, cowboy. Get a move on. I'm starving here."

Danny laughed and let himself be dragged to the car.

* * *

When shift ended, Hawkes swung by the Trace Lab to pick Cassie up. She saw him coming and she waved at him.

He walked in the lab and made his way to her, dropping a kiss on her cheek. "Hi."

Cassie smiled and said, "Hi, yourself."

Hawkes asked, "Ready to go?"

Cassie shook her head. "In a few minutes. I have one last sample that I'm waiting for. I just popped it in the machine and it should be done soon. Can you wait for me for awhile?"

"Sure," Hawkes said agreeably. He settled himself on a lab stool and watched her work.

As she waited for the result of her trace, she bustled around the lab cleaning up the mess. The machine pinged after a few more seconds.

"Bingo," she said softly. She scanned the results for a moment and slipped in into her out tray. She turned to Hawkes and smiled. "Ready when you are, Doc."

Hawkes reached for her hand and they walked out of the lab. "So, what have you been up to the whole day?"

Cassie explained, "Running stuff from Danny and Lindsay. They closed the stripper case today." She looked sideways at him, "What about you?"

Hawkes answered, "Mac had me doing fieldwork today, which is why I wasn't able to see you today." He slid a shy glance at her. "I wanted to, though."

Cassie smiled, "It's okay. I figured you were working." She slipped her arm around his waist and changed the subject. "So where are we going?"

Hawkes smiled secretively. "You'll see."

As they walked, they talked more about what happened during the day. Cassie told him what she knew about Danny and Lindsay's case. He told her stories about people in the lab.

Before long, they came to a building. Hawkes let himself in with a key and Cassie was getting a bit confused.

He smiled at the expression on her face and said, "Just wait, okay?" He led her to the elevator, where they zoomed up to the roof of the building.

As soon as they stepped out, Cassie gasped at the sight in front of her.

They were on the top of the building, with the night sky above them and the lights of New York City shining marvelously around them. There were candles around the edges of the roof and a small table was set-up in the middle. There was a rose petal-lined path that led from the elevator to the table.

"Oh my lord," she breathed, taking in the sight around her. She spun around to look at Hawkes, who was smiling in pleasure at her reaction. "You did all this?"

Hawkes nodded, looking tenderly at her.

Cassie's lips curved into a smile. "This is so sweet, Doc."

He led her away from the elevator and towards the table. He held out her chair for her and once she was seated, turned to another table where their dinner was kept warm.

He grabbed the two plates, set it in front of her and said, "For you."

She smiled at him again and they both dug into their dinner. Throughout the meal, they talked about their families and their pasts. Cassie told Hawkes why she moved to the city and he told her why he decided to go from the ER to the ME's office and from there, to the CSI lab.

They laughed and got to know each other. When they both finished eating, Hawkes held out his hand and led her to the lounger that he had set up near the edge of the roof so they could look at the city lights as they talked. He took a seat and she sat down next to him. He lifted his arm as she snuggled close to his side, relaxed after a wonderful dinner with great company.

Cassie laid her head on his chest, feeling the steady thump of his heartbeat under her ear. She lifted her head to smile at him, "Hmm. You did good, Doc."

Hawkes laughed at her teasing compliment and bent his head to brush her lips with his. "I'm glad you liked it."

They stayed there the entire night, talking, laughing, cuddling and kissing. They snuggled close to each other and soon, they fell asleep, wrapped in each other's arms under a warm blanket on a New York rooftop.

* * *

Here's where it ends for tonight. What did you guys think? I'm sorry I had to send the Vegas guys home so soon. The next chapters will probably be about Moving Day for Danny and Lindsay so wait for that. :D In the meantime, don't forget to let me know what you think about this one. :D Thanks again to all the reviewers:D 


	24. The One Where They Wake Up On the Roof

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

'Raising Shane' _was_ a great episode. However, it poses a problem cause I can't seem to work it into my story. Argh:D Although in general, I have a hard time incorporating what happens in the show to what happens in my story. Anyhoo, please don't forget to review after you read this one. :D

* * *

The sun was just peeking over the horizon when Hawkes awakened the next morning to the unfamiliar feeling of being watched. He had opened his eyes to see Cassie smiling at him. He blinked his eyes several times, wondering if he was hallucinating. _Nope, she's still there._ The events of the previous night came back to him in a rush. 

They smiled at each other.

Cassie spoke first, "Morning, Doc."

Hawkes leaned down to brush his lips against hers. "Good morning to you, too." He looked around him. "Wow. I can't believe we fell asleep here."

Cassie laughed softly. "Yeah, we were up pretty late last night." She tightened her arms around him and leaned her head back down on his chest. They sat quietly there for a few more minutes, watching the sun rise above the buildings of the city.

For the two of them, it was easy to pretend that they were the only two people left in the world. Isolated on a rooftop, under a warm blanket, wrapped in each other's arms, neither Hawkes nor Cassie wanted reality to intrude just yet.

Unfortunately, Hawkes' phone didn't seem to grasp the significance of the moment and rudely interrupted the idyllic scene.

Hawkes shook his head ruefully and switched off the alarm. Cassie had pulled back in surprise when the damned thing started beeping and now, he smiled reassuringly at her and said, "Don't worry. It's just the alarm. It's programmed to go off every morning at 6:30 so I can get ready for work."

Cassie sighed and said, "Guess that's our cue, then." She cast one more wistful glance around them and kissed Hawkes again. "Thanks for last night, Doc. I had a great time."

Hawkes grinned at her. "Me too." He rose reluctantly, reaching out his hand to her. "Is it okay if you give me about twenty minutes to shower and change? I want to walk you to your apartment so you can change and we can walk to the lab together."

Cassie let him pull her to her feet and answered, "No, don't worry about me. I can go home by myself and I'll see you at the lab later."

Hawkes shook his head firmly and said, "There's no way I'm letting you go home by yourself. Technically, our date isn't finished and I want to walk you home." He smiled cajolingly at her, "Let me?"

Cassie felt herself weakening. In this day and age, who knew such chivalry still existed? That, combined with the endearing grin Hawkes was casting her way, was really wreaking havoc on her resolve. She felt the corners of her mouth curl up and she said, "Okay. But you can't take too long in the shower."

Hawkes took her hand and they got into the elevator. In a few minutes, they were at his apartment. He fished his keys out of his pocket and opened the door. He motioned for Cassie to enter and locked the door behind them.

"Feel at home. If you need anything, the kitchen's there and you just go ahead and grab whatever you want. I don't have any brewed coffee, but I have instant in the cabinet if you need some caffeine. There's a bathroom there if you need it," Hawkes said, pointing the various areas of the apartment to Cassie. "I promise I'll be out in twenty minutes."

Cassie nodded and walked over to him. She gave him a light kiss. "Go right ahead, Doc. I'll be fine." Hawkes smiled at her and returned the gesture, then stepped back to enter his bedroom.

When he went inside, Cassie wandered around the apartment. She walked closer to a shelf, where his photos stood. Several of them had Hawkes with his family. He was the only boy, with two sisters. A bunch of other photos were of the Crime Lab people. There was one with the entire group, raising beer mugs in a toast. Another had Marty, Sid and Hawkes grinning widely at the camera, with their arms around each other. Another picture was of the guys of the CSI team: Mac, Danny, Hawkes and Flack. _Damn,_ Cassie thought._ I probably work with some of the most attractive men in New York City._

As she took a closer look at the jumble of books, videos and CDs that were crammed into his shelves, she noted that he had a wide variety of interests. She pretty much expected that he'd have various medical books at home, but she was surprised to find a complete set of Dan Brown novels, as well as a neat stack of comic books in one corner.

She let out a laugh as she surveyed the videos he owned. Who would have thought that Sheldon Hawkes, child prodigy, loved stupid high school movies? His collection included the entire _American Pie_ series, _Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle_, and the entire _Scary Movie_ collection, among other things.

She was still chuckling to herself when Hawkes walked out of the shower, crisply dressed in dark slacks and a light blue shirt. "What's so funny?" he asked.

Cassie turned back to him, her eyes dancing with mirth. She tilted her head teasingly, "Who'd have thought that one of the smartest people in the New York liked the _Scary Movie_ series?"

Hawkes grinned and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, sometimes, I like to watch movies that don't require much thought. We do too much thinking in at work as it is."

Cassie laughed again. She glanced at her watch and said, "Wow! Twenty minutes it is. You gotta appreciate a man who keeps his promises."

Hawkes chuckled as he walked over and slipped his arms around her. He pressed a kiss on her lips and he said, "I always keep my promises, Cassie."

Cassie looked up at him and grinned, "Glad to know, Doc." She reached for his hand and tugged. "Let's go. I'm way slower than you when I get ready in the morning."

The two grabbed their coats as they left the apartment.

* * *

Twenty minutes before nine, Hawkes and Cassie stepped through the glass doors of the New York Crime Lab. After leaving Hawkes' apartment, they went back to Cassie's place, where she showered and changed in a record time of forty minutes. Afterwards, they stopped by a nearby diner for a cup of coffee and walked to the lab. 

They entered the building hand-in-hand, laughing at a joke that they heard that morning in the diner.

Before Hawkes went to his office, he dropped Cassie off at the Trace Lab. They were still laughing over the same joke when they pushed open the glass doors of the Trace Lab.

Hawkes walked Cassie inside and she dumped her things on her table. They stood close together and flirted for a moment longer before they kissed each other goodbye.

Hawkes asked her, "We on for dinner tonight?"

Cassie smiled as she answered, "Yep." She fiddled with his collar for a while and asked, "You wanna stay in tonight? We can call for pizza."

Hawkes replied, "Sound good. Do you want to stay at your apartment or mine?"

Cassie thought about it for a while. "Mine's still a bit messy, but if you don't mind, we can stay there." She grinned at him and teased, "If you want, we can stop by your apartment and pick up one of your stupid movies. You might find my collection too intellectual."

Hawkes chuckled and said, "Sure." They kissed each other goodbye before he headed out of the lab, waving to Adam along the way.

Cassie watched him walk out and then turned back to the table. She found Adam grinning mischievously and said, "What?"

Adam teased, "So… You and Hawkes, huh?"

Cassie blushed. "Umm… Yeah." She busied herself by sorting the lab results that littered her desk.

Adam observed his co-worker silently, gauging whether he could get information from her or not. As the days had passed, they had gotten to know each other pretty well, and he had gotten over his initial fear of her. Despite the tough exterior, she really was a nice person.

Glancing out of the corner of his eye, "So… What did you do last night?"

Cassie sighed. Did he really think he was being so subtle? She smirked at him, "What is it that you really want to know Adam?"

Adam flushed. _How did she know that?_

"Come on, Adam," Cassie prodded impatiently. "If you have something to ask, spit it out, so we can get back to work." She made a sweeping motion with her hand to indicate the variety of items that had been dropped off for them to work on.

Adam laughed, "Alright, since you appreciate directness, did you and Hawkes have a good time last night?"

Cassie blushed again, "Yeah, we did."

Adam prodded, "So are you two an item now or what?"

Cassie blinked. "Y'know, I don't really know." She shuffled some papers together. "I guess we're trying to get to know each other right now."

Adam teased, "Does that mean you're still available if I ask you out?"

Cassie smirked and answered, "I'm flattered, Adam. But if you want an answer to that question, you're going to have to ask Hawkes." She waved a file folder at him. "I'm just going to go drop these off at the M.E.'s office, okay?"

She hurriedly left the Trace Lab and headed to the M.E.'s office, breathing a sigh of relief. She wasn't that ready to answer questions about her and Hawkes right now, especially since they were just starting to go out.

For a small woman, she had a pretty quick stride and in less than 5 minutes, she was in the morgue. This time, Marty was the one performing the autopsy.

"Hey Pino!" Cassie called out as she breezed into the morgue.

Marty didn't even look up. She looked closer and saw that he was bopping his head along with the music from his iPod. She sighed and stepped behind him and yanked the earphones from his head.

Marty jumped and looked behind him. "Jesus, Cass! You scared me!" Marty exclaimed, glaring at her. "Can't you just say hello like a normal person?"

Cassie rolled her eyes, "I did call out, Marty, but you were lost in your own world," she answered, pointing her finger accusingly at the iPod.

Marty heaved a long-suffering sigh and turned his focus back to the body on the table. "You're lucky that I think you're hot, Simmons. What can I do for you today?"

Cassie tapped the folder against the palm of her hand, unsure of where to begin.

Marty glanced up when Cassie remained silent. His eyes darkened with concern as he inquired again, "Cass? What's up?"

Cassie took in a deep breath and let the words tumble out, "Hawkes-and-I-went-on-a-date-last-night."

Marty blinked in confusion, "Okay, run that by me one more time, and this time, pause between the words, got it?"

Cassie nodded and repeated, much slower this time, "Hawkes took me out to dinner last night."

Marty smiled in obvious delight. "That's great, Cass. How did it go?" He raised his eyebrows at her, "This was your first date, right?"

Cassie nodded again, her eyes taking on a suspiciously dreamy expression as she recounted the previous night. "We had dinner on the rooftop of his apartment building. He set everything up and it was beautiful."

Marty asked, "He set what up?"

Cassie answered with a smile, "Candles, rose petals, dinner, everything. We talked all night until we fell asleep."

Marty was amazed. "Wow. I never knew Hawkes was such a romantic."

Cassie blushed and said, "Neither did I."

Marty chuckled, "I'm glad you had a great night." His tone turned serious, "So what's the deal with you two anyways?"

Cassie looked down and sighed, "You know, Adam asked me the exact same thing this morning."

Marty prompted, "So…"

Cassie smiled softly as she answered, "Well… We decided that we'd try to get to know each other first, but we're not seeing other people."

Marty nodded. "Not a bad set-up if you ask me. Are you two seeing each other again tonight?"

Cassie answered, "Yeah, we're just staying in tonight." She glanced at her watch. "Thanks for being a pal, Marty. You're the best." She hurried over and dropped a kiss on his cheek. "I gotta go, okay? I gotta get back to work."

Marty smiled, "Nothing to it, Cass. Just drop by if you need to talk okay?" He waved his hand to indicate the other occupants of the room. "It gets awfully quiet in here."

Cassie laughed again and called out, "Will do, dude. See you around!" She waltzed out of the morgue and back to the Trace Lab.

* * *

Mac was handing out assignments to the team. 

"I'm glad we all closed cases yesterday. Here's what we've got for today," Mac glanced down at the papers in front of him. "Hawkes and Lindsay, you've got a scene in HS188. A bunch of masked kids went in the cafeteria and fired shots. Five kids were shot, but luckily, no one died. Mostly flesh wounds."

Mac then turned to Danny and said, "Danny, you're with me on a scene in Queens. Apparent suicide, but they called us in to be sure."

Danny nodded and said, "I'll grab our kits and meet you in the car."

Mac dismissed the rest of the team. "Stella, you're lead on this one. Call me with updates okay?"

Stella answered, "Got it, Mac. We'll check back after we take a look at the scene."

The team then went their separate ways. As they walked out, Lindsay's phone beeped. She checked it and found a message from Danny. _Stay safe, Montana. I love you._

Smiling, she tapped out a quick reply. _I love you too, Danny. Chinese or Italian later?_

* * *

That's all for this chapter. I'm sorry that I can't make this chapter completely about Cassie and Hawkes. I just need to insert a little D/L:D 

I hope you guys enjoyed this one. Danny and Lindsay's moving day should be coming up soon, so wait for that. :D Don't forget to review:D


	25. The One Where Hawkes is in the Hot Seat

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

Stella, Hawkes and Lindsay walked quickly to the car. They loaded their kits in the back and climbed into the car. Lindsay called shotgun, and Hawkes was the designated driver for today and he maneuvered the car into New York traffic.

Since he was so intent on navigating, he missed the mischievous look Lindsay slanted Stella. After a moment, she spoke nonchalantly, "So Hawkes, I had no idea you were such a romantic."

Hawkes glanced at her in confusion, "Huh?"

Stella teased, "I heard you and Cassie had a great time last night."

Lindsay chimed in, "Yeah, Hawkes. Word is you went all out."

Stella sighed, "Candles, flowers, dinner, romantic setting." She reached over and patted him on the shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Hawkes. You did a great job with your date."

Hawkes shook his head. "Damn, you guys are good. How did you find out anyways?"

Lindsay answered him, "Well, Cassie and Marty are really good friends. Marty asked her how your date went and she told him. Marty told Flack who told Danny, who of course, told me," she finished triumphantly.

Hawkes glanced at his watch in consternation. "Didn't we all get in just an hour ago? When did all this happen?"

Lindsay shrugged her shoulders delicately, "News travels fast, Hawkes. You should know that better than anybody."

Hawkes groaned good-naturedly in response.

Stella piped in, "Plus, there was your very obvious display of affection in the Trace Lab this morning."

Hawkes slid a sideways glance at her, "Let me guess. Adam?"

Stella laughed and answered, "Yep. Adam told Flack, who told me and Lindsay, who told Danny."

Hawkes groaned again and replied, "I'm almost afraid to ask, but does Mac know?"

Stella grinned and answered, "Yep."

Hawkes muttered grumpily, half to himself, "Of course he knows. The man knows everything." He heaved another long-suffering sigh. "That's probably why he stuck me with you two, so that I can get grilled."

Stella and Lindsay burst out laughing. Mercifully, for Hawkes, the conversation was cut short by the fact that they arrived at the high school and their thoughts turned to the job at hand.

They grabbed their kits from the trunk and Stella, as lead, assigned tasks. "We're supposed to go to the cafeteria. You guys start taking pictures. I'm going to go talk to the victims."

Hawkes and Lindsay nodded and headed off. Stella looked around for the temporary EMT station set up in the back of the cafeteria and found Detective Angell talking to the victims.

Just then, Detective Angell noticed Stella and waved her over. Stella, camera in hand, was introduced to the victims.

Angell made the introductions. "Guys, this is Detective Stella Bonasera from the Crime Lab. She's here to take some pictures of you and to find out what happened earlier, but I'm going to talk to her in private for a while, okay?" When the five kids nodded, Angell led Stella away.

Stella asked, "Whatcha got so far, Angell?"

Angell answered, "From what they told me, they were just having lunch when suddenly, two masked people ran into the cafeteria and started firing shots." She glanced at her notepad. "Victims are all seniors: Hallie Johnson, Mark Lee and Charlie Miller, all 18 and Tara Wilkins and Kerri Thomas, 17." She closed her notepad and said, "I'm going to leave you with the 5 kids and I'm going to try and see if there are others who can give us a statement."

Stella nodded and answered, "Sure. Thanks, Angell. I'll keep you posted."

* * *

Meanwhile, Hawkes and Lindsay were surveying the cafeteria.

Hawkes glanced at Lindsay, "Damn. It's Columbine all over again."

Lindsay swallowed to keep the bile from rising in her throat. Sometimes, the job was too much. "I know. I wonder what triggered it this time."

Hawkes exhaled and said, "Whatever it was, I'm sure it wasn't worth killing someone over." He suggested, "How 'bout I take this area and you take that?"

Lindsay nodded and they each began to take pictures and collect evidence.

Moments later, Lindsay called out, "Hawkes?"

Hawkes raised his hand, "Here. What's up, Linds?"

Lindsay answered, "Keep an eye out for bullets or shell casings. Most of the shots seemed to be through-and-throughs. I've already got a bullet here."

Hawkes replied, "Got it."

They worked steadily through the rest of the morning and by lunchtime they were headed back to the lab. So far, all they collected several bullets and shell casings. Stella and Angell managed to get some statements.

The three detectives decided to drop the bullets off once they got back to the lab. They also decided to order some sandwiches to take back to the lab.

As they headed there, Lindsay took out her phone to call Danny. He answered after a few rings. "Hey, Montana."

The sound of his New York accent never failed to make Lindsay smile. Now, even after the horrible crime scene this morning, Danny's voice made her heart lift.

"Hey, yourself," she answered, smiling softly. "Hawkes, Stella and I are grabbing some sandwiches from the deli before we go back to the lab. You want anything?"

Danny answered, "Doesn't matter, Linds. You decide. I don't have anything in particular in mind right now. Mac and I just finished up here and we're heading back to the lab. I'll see you soon, okay?"

Lindsay replied, "Alright. If I don't see you in the break room, I'll just leave the baggie there for you."

Danny said, "Thanks, Montana. I love you."

Lindsay answered, "Me, too." Then she clicked her phone shut.

Stella asked, "He and Mac going back to the lab?"

Lindsay nodded, "Let's pick something up for them as well." She turned to Hawkes, who once again, was driving. "You might want to check if Cassie had lunch already so we can get her lunch if she hasn't eaten yet."

Hawkes grinned. "I'm ahead of you, Monroe. I already texted her. Why do you think I suggested getting lunch before going back?"

Stella laughed, "Wow! You're impressing me, Hawkes."

Hawkes chuckled, "Glad to know I'm passing the female standard."

He slid the SUV smoothly into a parking space in front of the deli. The three detectives jumped out of car and ordered their food. Thirty minutes later, they were seated around a table in the break room.

The dug heartily into their lunches and talked about the case. Stella told them the names of the kids who were shot and Lindsay and Hawkes reported what they found.

"Nothing but bullet casings, Stel," Hawkes concluded, taking a huge bite of his sandwich.

Lindsay offered, "But we did get a lot of photos of the scene. Let's see if we can recreate it and pinpoint the location of the shooters."

Stella nodded, "Sounds good. Let's get started on that after lunch."

At that moment, Cassie breezed into the break room. "Hey, I heard from somewhere that there's lunch here with my name on it." She walked over to Hawkes, who slipped an arm around her and kissed her softly.

Hawkes smiled and said, "Here you go, Cass. Turkey on rye."

Cassie returned the smile and said, "Thanks." She disentangled herself from Hawkes and headed to the fridge, grabbing two bottles of mineral water and handing one to Hawkes. She took a seat next to him and reached for her sandwich. "Damn, that's good. You got here just in time, Doc. I was starving."

Stella flashed a satisfied grin at the scene in front of her. Lindsay laughed at Stella's smugness and took another bite of her lunch.

Moments later, Danny pushed open the doors of the break room. "Hey, Montana. Whatcha got for me?" Same as Cassie, he walked over to Lindsay and planted a resounding kiss on her lips before investigating the deli bag she handed him.

"Perfect," Danny remarked. "Grilled chicken on wheat, just what I had in mind." He waved the sandwich at her, "You're good, Montana."

Lindsay laughed and said, "Glad you like it, Messer." She smirked at him, "I got lunch, so you're picking up dinner tonight."

Danny nodded and said around a mouthful of grilled chicken sandwich, "You got yourself a deal."

Stella groaned and said, "Ugh! Couples everywhere! I feel like I'm chaperoning!"

Hawkes, Cassie, Lindsay and Danny laughed. Just then, Mac entered the break room. "Danny told me you guys got lunch for us."

Stella reached for a bag and said, "Here you go. I got you your usual."

Mac sniffed the bag appreciatively and said, "Thanks, Stel." He sat down and dug into his lunch.

Danny and Lindsay shared a secret smile. Seems like Stella might stop complaining about all the hooking up being done in the lab soon.

Lunch was spent with the detectives updating each other about their cases. Cassie listened raptly. She didn't really have much desire to move out of the lab and into the field like others did, but she enjoyed hearing about the cases nonetheless. It gave a lot more context to the various items she analyzed in the lab.

To Cassie's regret, the hour ended quickly and they all had to get back to work. Stella and Lindsay left to go recreate their crime scene and Mac and Danny had to follow up on a lead.

Hawkes told Stella he'd help Cassie clean up and catch up with her and Lindsay in a few minutes. Stella acquiesced with a smile, reminding him not to take too long.

Hawkes and Cassie cleaned up the remains of their lunch while they caught up on what they did during the morning. Hawkes found himself telling her how disturbed he was by the crime scene in the high school.

"They're just in high school, Cass," he explained wearily. "They're kids. And this isn't even one of those high schools in the bad parts of town. We're talking strictly middle class here, students who are well-fed and cared for." He sighed in frustration. "What in the world would make a bunch of teenagers shoot each other?"

All through out his explanation, Cassie had been listening sympathetically. Now she walked around to table to stand close to Hawkes, slipping into his arms and hugging him, whispering softly, "Don't worry, Doc. I'm sure you'll find an answer to your mystery." She ran her hands reassuringly up and down his back as she tipped her head back, smiling warmly at him. "I have complete faith in you."

Hawkes softened despite himself. It was hard to be discouraged in the face of such belief. He leaned down to kiss her. "You're amazing, you know that?"

Cassie nodded smugly and answered, "Of course!" She hugged him again and said, "Now go and use that astronomical IQ of yours to find the bad guys. If you need help, just send it to the trace lab, I'll make Adam analyze it."

Hawkes burst out laughing, "Thanks, Cassie."

Cassie smiled back at him, "No worries, Doc." She waved him out, "I'll see you later okay?"

Hawkes nodded as he exited the break room, a goofy grin on his handsome face.

* * *

That's it for this chapter. :D I'm going to start working on the next one, but don't forget to review so that you can let me know how you found this chapter. I'll be inserting little Mac/Stella moments every now and then. :D 


	26. The One Where They Recreate the Scene

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

Stella, Hawkes and Lindsay sat around one of the tables in the layout room. Lindsay and Hawkes were working on a reconstruction of the scene and Stella was cross referencing the data she got about the kids who were shot.

Stella thought aloud. "Okay, so I have 5 high school seniors here, three of them aged 17, the other two, 18. First, we have Tara Wilkins. She's a teen model who appeared on several catalogs. Then there's Hallie Johnson, the Student Council president who has a 4.0 GPA and on the fast tract to an Ivy League school. We also have Kerri Thomas, captain of the cheerleading squad and Charlie Miller, the quarterback of the football team. Last kid was Mark Lee, who was some sort of Math and Science genius who recently got a full ride to MIT."

Hawkes looked up, impressed. "Wow! That's high school royalty right there."

Stella suddenly looked at Hawkes and snapped her fingers as she realized that that was the point of commonality she was looking for. "You're right," she said, thinking rapidly. "These are the cream of the crop of that high school."

Hawkes followed her train of thought. "Right, and since we're dealing with teenagers here, it's not unlikely that the motive is jealousy or envy. Remember Columbine."

Lindsay added one last thing and she motioned the other two detectives over. "Okay, Hawkes, I think we're done with this. Stel, can you come over and take a look at this?"

Stella walked around the table to where Lindsay had set up the simulation.

Lindsay started the demonstration. "Okay, so here are the locations of the five victims." Five different dots labeled with the victims' initials appeared on the screen. "Figuring in the various wounds of the five students, we have various trajectories that show us where the bullets came from." She tapped some keys on the computer and a series of rays appeared. "Three of them originated from this spot, right here," she pointed with her finger, "and the other two came from here."

Stella nodded. "Okay, so we have a location for our shooters. That's good."

Lindsay tapped a few more keys and more data appeared. "We have Shooter A, who got Hallie and Mark and we have Shooter B, who got Tara, Kerri and Charlie."

Stella squinted at the computer screen. "Hey, look at the seating arrangement." She shook her head. "High school students and their cliques. They're all sitting at separate tables, but look at the division." She continued, "Mark and Hallie were sitting at the tables that were the closest to each other, the smart kids and the successful kids. Then a few tables over, you have the pretty girls, sitting with Tara the teen model and at the next table, you have Kerri the cheerleader and Charlie the quarterback."

Lindsay's eyes widened at the connections. "You're right. This was probably the way the lunchroom was arranged every single day. It was easy to pick spots where you can hit all five targets."

Hawkes asked, "Linds, can you call up the data that approximates the height of the two shooters?"

At that moment, Danny entered the layout room. "Hey, guys." He walked over to press a kiss on Lindsay's temple. "Apparently, our suicide this morning really was just a suicide, so Mac sent me here to help you guys." He looked expectantly at Stella. "Where do you need me?"

Stella briefed Danny on the case, "So far, we have two unidentified shooters, who decided to 'take out' the most popular kids in school. They were unsuccessful, though. The most they did was to give them flesh wounds."

Lindsay took over the explanation, showing Danny the simulation they just finished. "They shot from these two points, and we have approximate heights." She peered at the data, "One of them was 5 feet 6 inches tall and the other was 5 feet 7 inches tall."

Danny frowned in thought. "From what I remember of New York City high schools, they generally have two lunch periods. Freshmen and sophomores, then juniors and seniors." He turned to Lindsay and said, "We can find out if they do the same thing at this place, then we can cross reference data from the school health center, they're required to have vital stats of the students. That should narrow down the field a bit."

Stella nodded, "Sounds good." Her phone beeped. She made a quick decision. "Lindsay, why don't you guys call up the data on the computer and see if we can hack into the school's system? I'm just going to go over to Ballistics and get the report on our bullets. When I get back, we'll cross-reference samples."

She exited the room, leaving Lindsay to work her magic on the computer. Hawkes showed Danny what little evidence they had. Which at this point, was basically, nothing.

Hawkes said, "We know that they were wearing ski masks and black-hooded sweatshirts."

Danny nodded. "Do we know if the shooters are male or female?"

Hawkes shook his head. "No. We didn't get much from the kids. According to them, it happened so suddenly."

Lindsay suddenly spoke up, "Okay, I've shortened the list. We now have only twenty-five kids, male and female, who fit the height requirement and are in the lunchroom at the time of the shooting."

Stella entered the layout room again, holding a piece of paper in her hand. "Here are the results from Ballistics. The guns used are both registered to one man. Take note, it's just registration, never been involved in any crimes." She consulted the paper. "Guns were registered to a man named Walter James." She looked expectantly at Lindsay, who was now scanning the short list of names.

Lindsay frowned, "No kid named James here. But we can check the guardians list. Maybe he's not a parent." She cross-checked the data and smiled. "Okay, Walter James is the guardian of another senior in that high school, who fits the requirement and is supposedly in the lunchroom at that time, according to their schedule." She looked up. "Kid's name is Marlon James Farber."

* * *

Up to here for now. :D This is a short chapter, but I'll draw the conclusion to this case in the next chapter. What do you think so far? Your reviews mean so much so please don't forget to drop a line after you read the story. :D Enjoy:D 


	27. The One Where Danny Gives Hawkes Advice

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

The next morning, Stella and Hawkes headed over to see Walter James. He was an accountant, and he had a small office near his home.

Hawkes knocked purposefully on the door. A slightly-built man with bright red hair answered, "Can I help you?"

The two detectives flashed their badges, "Mr. James, I'm Stella Bonasera and this is Sheldon Hawkes and we're with the NYPD Crime Lab. We'd like to ask you a few questions. May we come in?"

James measured them silently for a moment, then stepped back to let them in. "Have a seat, Detectives," he said, gesturing to a small receiving area.

Stella and Hawkes sat down on the couch. James took a seat across from them and asked evenly, "What's this about?"

Stella said, "Mr. James, do you own a gun?"

James looked surprised at the question, but he answered, "Yes. As a matter of fact, I have two. I keep one here and one at home."

Hawkes asked, "May we ask why you own a gun?"

James frowned, he wasn't expecting these questions. "A few years ago, I had a run-in with a former client and he started disturbing me at home and here at the office. I decided to purchase a weapon, to dissuade him from bothering me ever again. It worked actually. The one time he came here, I just flashed the gun and he left. He hasn't bothered me since."

Stella inquired, "Where do you keep the guns?"

James replied, "At home, it's in my nightstand. In the office, I keep it in a false drawer in my desk." He frowned again, "Detectives, may I ask why you have so many questions about my guns?"

Stella and Hawkes exchanged a glance. Stella said gently, "Mr. James, what is your connection to Marlon Farber?"

James looked at the two detectives in surprise. "Marlon? He's my nephew." He rubbed his hands wearily over his eyes. "Four years ago, my sister and her husband were killed in a car accident. Since then, I've been Marlon's guardian. Why?"

This time, it was Hawkes who explained. "Yesterday, there was a shooting in Marlon's school, and the bullets used were traced back to both your guns."

James stuttered, "But that's impossible." He stood quickly and motioned the detectives to follow him to his desk. He leaned down and popped open the false drawer, which unsurprisingly, was empty.

"Dear God!" he whispered, collapsing in his chair. "Did Marlon…?" his voice trailed off.

Stella replied, "We don't know yet, Mr. James. That's what we're trying to find out."

Hawkes asked gently, "Mr. James, Marlon's only 17, which makes him a minor. Will you give us the permission to question Marlon and investigate?"

James raised unfocused eyes to them. "Was anyone killed?"

Stella answered, "Fortunately, there were no deaths. Several students were just wounded."

James stood up shakily. "If Marlon has something to do with this then do what you need to do. Just make sure that he isn't falsely accused."

Hawkes and Stella both nodded. "We promise, Mr. James. We'll make sure that Marlon won't be punished for a crime that he didn't commit."

They left Walter James behind and proceeded to HS188. Since James had already given his permission as legal guardian, it was easy for the two detectives to take in Marlon Farber for questioning. He confessed to the shooting, and named his accomplice, so they were able to close the case quickly.

The rest of the afternoon was spent filling out the reports needed to officially close the case. Pretty soon, it was quitting time and Hawkes was counting down the minutes until he could see Cassie again.

As soon as the clock hit six PM, he quickly made his way to the locker room to change his shirt and get his stuff. There, he found Danny and Lindsay, who were also winding down the day.

Danny looked up and saw Hawkes hurrying into the locker room. "Hey, Hawkes," he laughed. "Slow down, man. Where ya goin'? Hot date tonight?" he said with a teasing smirk.

Lindsay laughed at him and asked again, "What's the rush, Hawkes? You and Cassie have plans?"

Hawkes paused to answer her question. "Yeah, I'm stopping by the Trace Lab on the way out. We're staying in tonight."

Danny complained, "Hey! Didn't I just ask you the exact same thing earlier? How come when _she_ asks you answer? Am I invisible or something?" he asked perplexedly, turning to Lindsay for help.

Hawkes had to laugh at that, "Sorry, Danny." He glanced at his watch and said, "It's a good thing I don't have to go across town to pick her up."

Lindsay laughed, "The advantages of working with your girlfriend."

Hawkes paused in his tracks, "I'm sorry, what?"

Danny slung his arm around Lindsay's shoulders and said, "Montana said, that's the advantage of working on the same building as your girlfriend. Being late is never an issue, cause you don't have traffic to worry about." He kissed Lindsay's cheek and said, "See, that's why I'm with you."

Lindsay raised her eyebrows at him and said, "Is that so?"

Danny hastily said, "I'm just kidding, Montana." He flashed her his trademark cocky grin, the one she had grown to love so much.

Lindsay softened and bumped her head lightly against his, which made him laugh and tuck her more comfortably under his arm. He bent his head to whisper in her ear, "I love you."

Lindsay smiled back at him and even without saying the words aloud he read it in her eyes. _I love you too._

Hawkes waved the conversation back on track, "No, I meant…" he stuttered. "What did you call Cassie?"

Lindsay squinted at him. "I called her your girlfriend." She glanced at him, then to Danny in confusion. "She _is_ your girlfriend, isn't she?"

By now, Danny was catching on to Hawkes' confusion. "Okay, hold on a minute, man. Sit with me and Montana for a minute." He grasped Hawkes' arm and pushed him back onto a bench.

Danny started to explain. "Hawkes. You like her, right?" he raised his eyebrows at Hawkes, who nodded.

Danny continued, "Are you seeing other people besides her?"

Hawkes answered, "No."

"Do you _want_ to see other people while you're seeing her?"

Hawkes shook his head. "Not really."

Danny glanced at Lindsay in exasperation, who just smirked and nodded her head, encouraging him to continue. "Is _she_ seeing other people besides you?"

Hawkes shook his head vehemently, "No, and I don't really want her to."

Danny just raised his eyebrows at him and waited for his normally intelligent friend to grasp what he was leading up to.

Hawkes stared at him for a moment and said, "Ah." He smiled. "I think I got it."

He stood up from the bench.

Lindsay touched his arm in concern. "Is this what you want, Hawkes?"

Hawkes smiled gently at his friend. "Yes, Linds. I guess I was just a little surprised when you put a label on it." He grinned self-consciously. "We haven't really talked about it, but don't worry, I have no issues against her being my girlfriend." He thought to himself. "In fact, I kinda like it."

Danny grinned back at his friend as he once again slipped his arm around Lindsay. "There you go. See? Good for you, man. We're really happy for you."

Hawkes laughed and said, "Thanks." He glanced at his watch again. "I better go. Cassie's probably wondering where I am."

Lindsay smiled at him and said, "Bye, Hawkes. Have a great time."

Hawkes waved to his friends and walked out of the locker room.

When Hawkes left, Lindsay turned to Danny with an amused grin. "So, Messer. Giving relationship advice, huh?"

Danny flushed and said defensively, "What? Hawkes, our friend, the nicest guy on the planet, not to mention the smartest, looked confused, why shouldn't I give him some advice?"

Lindsay laughed as she turned in his arms to face him, sliding her arms up his chest to curl around his neck, tipping up her face to his for a kiss. "Who would've thought that Danny Messer, resident Casanova, would be the one urging Hawkes to embrace being committed?"

Danny grinned and held up one hand to make a point, "Well, let's just say I've been giving this commitment thing a go, and…" he shrugged his shoulders, "s'not as bad as I thought it would be." He tightened his arms around her to pull her closer. "See, I found this really amazing woman who makes it not only easy, but very, very natural for me to commit to her."

Lindsay smiled tenderly at him and said, "Right back atcha, Messer." She leaned up to brush Danny's lips with hers.

Danny's lips curved into a loving smile as he gazed into her warm brown eyes and said, "What can I say, Montana? You've reformed me."

Lindsay laughed softly and tugged his head back down to hers. Soon the rest of the world disappeared around them.

* * *

Hawkes walked briskly back to the Trace Lab, his mind still mulling over the conversation he had with Danny and Lindsay. It's not that he minded. He just wasn't sure how Cassie would take it. He made a mental note to talk to her about it later.

He pushed the glass door open and saw her waiting for him. He walked quickly to her side and planted a quick kiss on her cheek, smiling in apology. "Sorry I'm late. I got delayed in the locker room, cause Danny and Lindsay talked to me about something."

Cassie grinned as she stood up. "No worries, Doc." She slipped her hand into his and said, "You ready to go?"

Hawkes pulled her into a hug and said, "Ready when you are."

They turned to exit the lab, arguing about what kind of take-out to buy. Hawkes wanted Chinese, Cassie wanted pizza. They continued bickering until Hawkes held up his hand and suggested a mature way to settle the argument.

Cassie gaped at him, then threw her hands up. "Good Lord. Sheldon Hawkes, you are one of the smartest men in the city, with an IQ of 148 and your solution is to play rock, paper scissors?!" she exclaimed in disbelief.

Hawkes grinned at her, "Well, you have to admit, it settles the argument quite nicely. If I win, we get Chinese. If you win, we get pizza."

Cassie tried to hold on to her disbelieving look, but she found it hard when Hawkes was smiling so endearingly at her. Despite her best efforts, a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth and she said, "Fine."

A few seconds later, Cassie was grinning broadly. "You know, I like this solution."

Hawkes answered grumpily, sliding his arm around her shoulders to draw her close to his side, "You're only saying that cause you won."

Cassie let out a peal of laughter, mirth brightening her brown eyes. "Whatever, Doc. We're ordering pizza."

* * *

This is it for tonight. :D I couldn't help it, I just needed to insert a little fluff. I'm missing Jordan and Flack though, so they might get a little airtime in the next chapter. I think I'm going to fast forward to Moving Day, and if I estimate my timeline correctly, it's been three weeks since Jordan moved to the city, which makes it about the first week of December already. Stay tuned for the NYPD Christmas Ball. :D

Please review:D It really brightens my day when I read your reviews. :D


	28. The One Where Flack Hates to Move

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

For the people of the NYPD, a day-off was always a blessing.

But for Don Flack Jr. and Danny Messer, day-offs had of late become synonymous with moving day.

As Danny and Flack wrestled a chest of drawers from Lindsay's apartment into the elevator of Danny's apartment building, Flack let out an annoyed grunt and said, "Y'know, Messer, just for the record, I hate moving."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. You've told me that twenty-four times already since we started," Danny muttered, breathing heavily. "I know you hate moving, Flack. That's why I made it a point to make sure you got duped by Jordan into helping me and Lindsay move her stuff."

The elevator dinged as they reached Danny's floor. After several minutes of pulling the heavy piece of furniture into the hallway, Flack continued his whining. "Dammit, Messer. I thought we were friends."

Over the top of their load, Danny shot Flack a glare and said, "We _are_ friends, Flack. That's why _I_ spent _my _last day-off hauling boxes for your girlfriend instead of spending the day in bed with Lindsay." They moved quickly down the hallway despite their heavy load. "And that's why _you're _helping me and Montana move." He gritted his teeth and smiled at Flack, "Cause you're such a good friend."

Flack rolled his eyes and chose to remain silent. In truth, he was happy to help Danny and Lindsay with moving in together. There was the fact that Jordan was there too, so at least they were together. Well, sort of.

But the other thing was, he'd seen how hard it had been for Danny and Lindsay to get to this point in their relationship. While some might say they're moving too fast, since they decided to move in together after two weeks of dating, Flack would vehemently disagree.

See, he was one of the people who had sensed from the very beginning that the two would end up together. He'd seen how Danny changed, the way he'd gradually stopped dating too many women and had fallen in love, little by little, with Lindsay. Flack had witnessed the difficult journey they had made to find happiness with each other. So if you ask him, they deserved this and he was happy for them.

But that didn't mean he had to be happy that he was helping them move furniture.

After a few more minutes, he and Danny managed to wrestle the chest of drawers through the door of Danny's bedroom. He and Danny lowered it onto the floor and Danny asked, "Where do you want this, Montana?"

Lindsay pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes as she contemplated the question, looking around the room. Flack gritted his teeth in frustration. _I really HATE moving!_

As though sensing his impatience, Jordan caught his eye and flashed him a grin. She tipped her head to the side and Flack tried unsuccessfully to hold on to his annoyance.

Lindsay answered, "Next to yours is fine with me, if you don't mind. That way we each have our own space to put our stuff."

Danny nodded, "Okay." He called out, "Flack!"

Flack let out a sigh and picked up his end of the furniture, helping Danny push it into place.

After that, Danny walked over to the bed, where Lindsay and Jordan sat folding clothes to put in the cabinets. He dropped down next to Lindsay, lay down on the bed and said, "Okay, I'm tired now."

Lindsay laughed and said, "Danny, you two only moved the drawers. The rest of my furniture is going into storage, right? We hired movers to do that for us. The only things we need to move are the stuff that I use everyday."

Danny considered this for a moment, "Yeah, but the drawers were heavy and I'm tired." He yawned.

Lindsay laughed again and leaned down to kiss him. "There are only about eight more boxes that we need to lug from my apartment." Danny pulled her closer and she lay down by his side, snuggling her head on his chest and lacing his fingers in hers.

Flack dropped down on the bed to place his head on Jordan's lap and growled, "I hate moving!"

"Aww…" Jordan teased, before giving Flack a kiss as well. "Poor detectives." She lowered her head to his and started nuzzling his forehead, which Flack welcomed. He moved quickly so that she was wrapped in his arms and started kissing her.

Danny suddenly realized that Flack was making out with Jordan in his and Lindsay's bed and he quickly grabbed a pillow and started pummeling Flack with it.

"Hey!" Flack protested, jerking upwards while a giggling Jordan was sheltered protectively from the blows of the pillow. "What the hell, Messer?"

Danny glowered at him and said, "This is me and Lindsay's bed, Flack. You wanna make out with your girlfriend, go do it on the couch, not on our bed."

The women burst out laughing as Flack stood up and reached for Jordan's hand, pulling her out of the room as he stalked out.

Danny muttered, "Disgusting!"

Lindsay was smiling gently at him. "What?" Danny asked defensively. "They were making out on our bed."

Lindsay pushed him back down on the bed and curled up against his side. Danny immediately quieted, running his hand through her soft brown curls.

"I like the sound of that," she said softly after a while.

"Sound of what?" Danny asked, looking down at her.

"Our bed," Lindsay replied, tilting her head upwards, to look into his blue eyes.

Danny's mouth curled up at the corners. "Does sound good, doesn't it?" He tightened his arms around her. "Our bed, our apartment. But you know what sounds better?"

Lindsay asked, "What?"

Danny smiled tenderly into her eyes, "My Montana." Then he bent his head and kissed her.

* * *

Outside, Flack was hatching a plan to get Jordan out of the apartment.

Flack was explaining eagerly, "They've been in there for a while and it's been quiet. For all we know, they're having sex in there and we're intruding so we should just go."

Jordan was laughing at him. "Okay, first of all, I don't think that they're having sex in there. Me and Lindsay were roommates for years remember? We have a system. If she wanted me to leave, she'd let me know."

Flack's eyes widened speculatively, "System? What system?"

Jordan laughed, "I'm not telling. Just trust me when I tell you that they're _not_ having sex in there okay?" Before he could protest, she clamped her hand across his mouth and said, "Second of all, they helped us move me into my apartment, so we're helping them and that's the end of it." She removed her hand from his mouth.

Flack immediately started talking, "But I hate moving! And Danny already kicked me out and they have eight more boxes to go…"

Jordan rolled her eyes and said, "Damn! Now I'm going to have to shut you up again." She grasped Flack's head firmly in her small hands and pulled his head back down, stopping the torrent of words by kissing Flack squarely on the lips.

There was immediate silence as Flack took the hint and focused his energies on kissing his girlfriend. They sat there for long minutes, until they finally needed to pull back to breathe.

Flack grumbled, "Okay, but you have to rub my back after this."

Jordan nodded and kissed him one more time. "Deal."

"Ahem," a voice said from behind them.

Jordan and Flack turned around to find Danny and Lindsay leaning on the doorway of the bedroom. Lindsay's arms were crossed and Danny was smirking.

Danny spoke, "Seeing as how you two are done there," he waved his hands to indicate the couch, "Lindsay and I are going to her apartment to grab the boxes that are left. You two should come with us so that we can get some lunch on the way back."

Jordan stood up and reached behind her to pull Flack up. "Let's go."

Lindsay walked over to her and the girls held a whispered conference. All Danny and Flack could make out from the conversation were the words, 'yeah, the system still works'.

Danny turned to Flack in confusion, "What system?"

Flack smiled wryly at his friend, "Apparently, when they were roommates, they had some kind of a system to let the other know if the other one was having sex with someone in the room or not."

Danny's eyes narrowed, "So how does it work?"

Flack shrugged, "Don't know, man. Jordan wouldn't tell me"

Danny let out an annoyed grunt. "You're useless, Flack. You can make criminals talk, but you're no match against one small woman."

Flack retorted, "Yeah, like you'd have better luck making Lindsay talk if she doesn't want to."

Danny considered that and said, "Guess you're right." He slapped Flack on the back and said, "But you gotta try harder to get them to crack."

Outside the apartment, Lindsay and Jordan rolled their eyes. Danny and Flack were arguing about something again.

Lindsay called out, "You ladies done there?" Jordan smothered a laugh.

Danny answered, "Yeah, yeah, yeah… We'll be right there." He and Flack stepped out of the doorway in a few seconds.

Danny asked Lindsay before locking the door, "You got our keys, Montana?"

Lindsay nodded and jangled the key ring and Danny turned back to lock the apartment behind them.

* * *

At the lab, Mac entered the break room, carrying a piece of paper in his hand.

Stella came up behind him just as he was posting the paper on the break room bulletin board. "Whatcha got there, Mac?"

Mac answered and said, "It's a memo from the Mayor's office. It's an official invitation to all the CSIs of the Crime Lab for the NYPD Christmas Ball. Goes without saying that we're on call on that night, of course."

Stella nodded, "What's the policy on dates?"

Mac shrugged, "None, as far as I know. Letter only said that each CSI is allowed to bring a date."

Stella said, "Sounds good. I guess you'll be bringing Peyton, huh?" No one would know how much Stella was anticipating the answer to that question.

Mac's eyes clouded over and he tried to avoid Stella's penetrating gaze. But something in him made him answer honestly. "Actually, we've decided to stop seeing each other."

Other people would have offered the standard words of sympathy, but Stella and Mac had been friends for too long and they both knew that pity, sincere or otherwise, would not be appreciated. So Stella merely asked, "Why?"

Mac avoided her gaze again, but answered her question. "It just didn't work out, I guess."

Stella patted his shoulder, while sparks of hope started shooting up inside her. "It'll work out for the best I guess."

Then sensing that the moment might have become too heavy, she changed the subject with a bright smile. "Can I be the one to tell the guys that it's formal tie?"

Mac's lips curled reluctantly into a smile, "Okay."

Stella added, "Oh, and I'm requesting that me and Lindsay and Cassie have a day off together so we can go shopping."

Mac had to laugh at that. "Why?"

Stella answered matter-of-factly, "Well, obviously, Lindsay's going and Hawkes is bound to take Cassie, so we need to find something to wear."

Mac chuckled again. "All right, I'll try, but I'm not making any promises."

Stella beamed at him, "Thanks, Mac. You're the best." With that, she sauntered out of the break room, curls bouncing behind her head.

Mac breathed out slowly, watching her walk out.

* * *

At the end of the day, the four exhausted detectives were slumped on Danny's couch, the remains of a demolished pizza on the coffee table in front of them.

"I never knew I had so much stuff," Lindsay moaned, turning to Danny in consternation. "I've only been in New York for a year and a half. How could I have accumulated so many things?"

Danny chuckled at her woebegone expression and explained, "It happens, Linds." He patted her shoulder and kissed her temple. "Don't worry, we made good time today and we managed to sort your things and just take those that you need. The rest of it will go into storage with your furniture." He looked around them, "As a matter of fact, we better pack up some of my useless junk also to make room for your stuff outside the bedroom."

When Lindsay groaned, Danny took mercy on her and said, "Don't worry, we'll save that for another day."

Flack interjected at that point. "Just so you know, Messer, you're on your own for that one." That made Jordan laugh.

Danny smirked at his friend, "Don't worry, Flack. I don't hate you that much." He lowered his head to Lindsay's ear and whispered, "Besides, he'll be doing some moving of his own, soon," which made Lindsay giggle.

Flack narrowed his eyes, "What are you two lab rats whispering about?"

Lindsay waved her hand, "Nothing, nothing."

At that Jordan stretched and said, "Well, we better get going you guys." She turned to give Lindsay a hug.

Lindsay said, "Thanks again, Jordan." She turned to Flack to give him a hug as well, which he returned affectionately. "Thanks, Flack."

The four detectives exchanged their goodbyes, and Danny gave Flack the standard one-armed 'man-hug' in gratitude. "Thanks, man. I really appreciate this."

Flack returned the 'man-hug' and said, "No worries, Messer." He turned and pulled Jordan out of the apartment "We'll see you tomorrow."

After the door closed behind Flack and Jordan, Danny wordlessly tugged Lindsay to the window that overlooked the city. They stood together, his front warm against her back, his arm strong and steady across her waist, watching the city lights flicker in the night.

Danny pushed Lindsay's curls aside to nibble on her ear and whisper, "I love you, Montana."

Lindsay sighed in contentment and leaned her head back on Danny's shoulder. "I love you too, Danny."

* * *

This is it for tonight. Thanks for all the reviews:D I hope you liked this one as well.

I hope this is enough F/J for everyone, and of course, I can't leave D/L out. Some M/S is ahead as well, especially with the NYPD Christmas Ball coming up.

Stay tuned and don't forget to review:D


	29. The One With Stefano's Wonderful Studio

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

I would like to state that the events in this story are purely imaginary, and that if they do bear any similarity to any person, thing or event, it is by accident. I mean no harm and if anyone intends to sue me, I can guarantee that you won't get anything from me because I make a pathetically low salary and own nothing of great value. :D

* * *

It had already started snowing in New York. 

Time had flown by rather quickly and before the girls knew it, the NYPD Christmas Ball was a week and a half away.

Stella realized with a panic that the girls had yet to go shopping. Thankfully, there was no one in Mac's office but him when she stormed inside.

"Mac Taylor!" Stella fumed, planting her hands squarely on his desk.

Mac looked up, surprise evident in his face. "What's up, Stella?"

Stella crossed her arms in front of her chest and said, "When can the girls and I have our day off?"

Mac's face registered nothing for confusion. "Why do you need to have your day off together?"

Stella threw up her hands in exasperation. "Mac! Don't you remember? I requested if Cassie, Lindsay and I could take a day off together to go shopping for the NYPD Christmas Ball?"

Mac's face cleared and he smiled. "Oh, that. Yeah, I took care of that already." He shuffled some papers on his desk and asked, "Didn't I tell you?"

Stella rolled her eyes. "No, you didn't."

Mac smiled again, "Alright, then." He stopped fussing around with the papers and leaned back in his chair, "Stella, remember when you asked me if you could have a day off with Cassie and Lindsay? Well, I fixed it already and you guys can have your day off together tomorrow."

Stella's face broke out in a wide smile. "Thanks, Mac." She strode purposefully out of his office to go back to the break room and tell Cassie and Lindsay the good news.

As soon as Stella left his office, Mac quickly reached into his drawer and hastily filled out the forms that cleared Stella, Lindsay and Cassie for the next day.

* * *

Stella came back into the break room, a satisfied grin on her face. "It's all set." 

Lindsay exchanged an amused glance with Cassie. The girls had been sharing lunch in the break room, gossiping over McDonald's take out when Stella had looked at the calendar, let out a horrified gasp and stormed out of the break room. "What's all set?"

Stella rolled her eyes. "How could people forget?" She answered, "The NYPD Christmas Ball is next Saturday."

Lindsay's face cleared in understanding, "Oh, yeah. Dammit! That's next week already? I have nothing to wear!"

Stella threw up her hands in triumph. "See? Now you see what I mean!"

Cassie interjected, holding up a slightly soggy French fry, "Hold up! What is this ball thing anyway? All the lab techs are gossiping about who's going with who." She rolled her eyes. "It's like traveling back in time to high school."

Lindsay laughed as she explained, "Every Christmas, the mayor's office hosts a really big party for all members of the NYPD. According to Stella, it's always a really big thing, but this is the year they decided that it would be strictly formal."

Cassie munched on the fry, thinking thoughtfully. "Formal, huh?" She grinned mischievously at Stella. "Do the guys know this?"

Stella pointed her finger at Cassie. "No, and I got dibs on telling them." She rubbed her hands together with glee. "Oh, the look on those guys' faces when they find out…"

"When they find what out?" said a very distinctive New York accent from behind them. A hand shot out and grabbed one of the fries that were left of the huge pile that Stella, Lindsay and Cassie had ordered.

Hawkes entered from behind Danny and stood next to the stool where Cassie was perched. He leaned closer to give her a quick kiss before he reached forward to grab some food from the center of the table.

Hawkes looked at the mirth dancing in Stella and Cassie's eyes and shot an apprehensive glance towards Danny, but he was too busy kissing Lindsay hello to notice.

Hawkes reached out and casually smacked Danny on the shoulder. This broke the kiss and Danny looked at Hawkes in annoyance. "What was that for?" He rubbed his shoulder, "Y'know, he's been a lot meaner since he started seeing you." He glared at Cassie, "What have you been doing to Hawkes?"

Cassie laughed and said, "Oh, wouldn't you like to know what I'm doing to the Doc…" She smiled slyly as she leaned against Hawkes, who had a smug look on his face.

Stella and Lindsay howled with laughter as Danny looked slightly nauseated.

Hawkes brought the conversation back to the matter at hand by slapping Danny's shoulder again. "Hey, Messer, focus!"

Danny growled, "What? That's twice today that you've hit me, Hawkes."

Hawkes gestured to the women and said, "See, Stella here's looking a little too happy. Kinda tells me that there's something we don't know."

Danny pulled Lindsay against him. "What don't we know, Montana?"

Lindsay smirked, "Oh, I better let Stella tell you."

Stella grinned, "Remember the annual NYPD Ball?"

Danny replied, "Yeah, what about it?"

Stella drew her words out. "Well, it's formal tie," she said, emphasizing the last two words, earning horrified looks from Hawkes and Danny.

Hawkes groaned, "We have to dress up?"

Cassie confirmed with a smile, "In a tux, no less."

Danny grimaced. "Dammit. Montana, do we have to go to this thing?" he whined, sounding like a sulky, very adorable six year old boy.

Lindsay reprimanded him, "You weren't paying attention to the last staff meeting Mac called weren't you?"

Danny frowned, "No, why?"

Lindsay sighed in exasperation and said, "He said that although we are all on call on that night, attendance is mandatory cause the mayor expects to see all of us there."

Danny cast a pained glance at Hawkes, "Looks like unless someone dies on that night, we're not getting out of this one," he muttered glumly.

Hawkes sighed in commiseration. Then he brightened, "Does Flack know this is black tie?"

Stella smirked again, "Nope. I told Jordan I'd be the one to tell him." She patted both Danny and Hawkes on the arm. "Don't worry. I'll make it worth your while. Both your dates will look incredibly amazing on that night."

Danny and Hawkes took the time to mull over the idea of their girlfriends getting all dolled up for them.

Danny smiled and hugged Lindsay, whispering in her ear. "Well, I guess if you're dressing up for me, Montana."

Stella smiled knowingly. "Speaking of which, Mac said the three of us can have the day off tomorrow. So, let's meet at Danny and Lindsay's tomorrow at ten AM?"

Cassie and Lindsay both nodded. Then Lindsay realized something, "Wait. Why our place? There are no nearby stores."

Stella smiled mysteriously. "You'll see. It's a surprise." She started to walk out of the break room, saying as she left, "Don't forget to call Jordan, Linds."

* * *

Promptly at ten the next morning, Stella, Cassie and Jordan found themselves standing in front of Danny and Lindsay's door. Fortunately, Jordan managed to get the day off as well, so the girls had an entire day of shopping ahead. 

A minute later, the door opened to reveal Danny in a rumpled white shirt and gray NYPD sweatpants. He was yawning as he let them in.

"Make yourselves at home. Lindsay's still in the shower, she said she'll be right out." With that, Danny headed back into the bedroom sleepily, banging the door shut behind him.

Jordan muttered, "Well, ain't he a bright ray of sunshine in the morning," making Cassie and Stella laugh.

Stella surveyed the apartment with interest. "Wow, this place changed since I was last here."

Jordan observed, "I guess Lindsay put that feminine touch in this place."

At that moment, the woman in question breezed out of the bedroom. Lindsay was dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a sweater.

"Hey!" she greeted. "Was Danny being a grouch again?"

Cassie nodded. "Yep. Grouchy as a bear."

"Sorry about that," Lindsay apologized. "He got called to a case late last night. He just got home two hours ago."

Stella smiled reassuringly, "No problem, Linds. We've all been there." She glanced at her watch. "Let's get going?"

The three other women nodded and as they headed out, Lindsay said, "I'll be out in a minute, I'll just get my purse."

Lindsay strode back into the bedroom where she found Danny sprawled out on the bed, his face buried in her pillow. She smiled gently as she walked closer and planted a kiss on his ear, waking him up.

Danny opened one eye. Lindsay smiled again and said, "We're leaving now, okay? Get some rest," she combed her fingers lovingly through his messy blond hair. She leaned down to kiss him one more time. "I love you, Danny."

"Loveyoutoo," Danny mumbled, already falling back asleep, hugging Lindsay's pillow, which still carried her scent.

* * *

As the girls stepped out into the brisk cold of New York City, bundled up in thick coats, Lindsay asked Stella, "So, Bonasera. Where are you taking us?" 

Stella looked seriously at her friends. "Okay, but you have to promise me you won't tell anybody about this."

Jordan, Cassie and Lindsay all mimed various actions that meant they weren't going to say a thing.

Stella started her story, "About five years ago, I met this guy who makes a living auctioning off used dresses from movie stars and he lets me get first pick at really, really low prices."

Cassie stared at her excitedly, "Seriously, Stel?"

Stella nodded her head vigorously, "I'm not kidding."

Jordan whistled, "This is so cool."

Lindsay chuckled, "What are we waiting for then? Lead the way, Stel."

Stella laughed and the four women headed down the street.

About twenty minutes later, Stella led them down a small alley in a one of the middle class neighborhoods of New York. They stopped at a small door that looked like the back entrance of a club.

Stella reached high on the doorframe and pressed a bell that was discreetly mounted in the wood. Moments later, there was a shuffling sound behind the door and a male voice called out, "Who's there?"

Stella called out, "It's me."

The door immediately opened and a petite, rotund man held out his arms, "Stella! It's been so long!"

Stella leaned down to press an affectionate kiss to the man's cheek. She proudly introduced him to the three other women. "Guys, this is Stefano Suarez, one of the kindest and most talented designers that will take Manhattan by storm. Stefano, these are my friends, Lindsay Monroe, Cassie Simmons and Jordan Addison."

"Pleasure to meet you ladies," Stefano beamed. He grasped Stella's hand firmly and pulled her inside, calling out to the others to follow them. "Come in, come in."

Jordan, Lindsay and Cassie followed Stella and Stefano inside. They went up a dark, narrow wooden staircase that eventually led up to a large airy studio with racks and racks of beautiful gowns.

Lindsay looked around her and breathed, "Oh my lord." Beside her, Jordan was staring wide-eyed at the assortment of clothes around them.

Cassie was like a kid in a candy store, she didn't know which way to turn first. The dresses were segregated by colors and shades and it created a beautiful rainbow of taffeta and satin and silk and lace and oh dear lord, she knew she would start drooling soon.

"Stella," Cassie called out in a choked voice.

Stella turned around and smiled in amusement at the expressions on the faces of the three other women.

Cassie continued in the same choked voice, "I now worship the ground you walk on."

Stella and Stefano let out twin peals of laughter. Stefano spoke up, "Well, go on girls, take your pick." He patted Stella's hand affectionately, where it was resting on his arm. "I know Stella would never bring random people in here, so you three must be really good friends of hers and any friend of Stella's, I'm glad to help."

Lindsay, Cassie and Jordan slowly wandered to separate corners of the studio, delving into the selection enthusiastically.

Stefano then urged Stella, "Go ahead, love. Pick something out that will dazzle that man of yours out of his head."

Stella laughed and kissed Stefano once again on the cheek, "Thanks, Stef. You really are an angel." She disengaged herself from Stefano and started towards the racks.

* * *

An hour later, Stella, Lindsay, Cassie and Jordan had all picked out stunningly beautiful dresses for each of them. Incredibly, none of the dresses they picked required any adjustments, as each fit them perfectly, as though it was specifically made for them. 

Jordan chose an emerald green dress that was cut high in the waist and made her petite form look even more delicate. The dress had a sprinkling of beads that made the dress shimmer with every move. The simple halter straps emphasized her bare shoulders and the smooth skin of her upper back. She thought to herself, _Don's going to love this dress._

Cassie on the other hand, chose a strapless white number with a puffy princess skirt that was vaguely reminiscent of something that Audrey Hepburn wore in a movie. The magic of the dress was in the fabric, a pearly white satin that highlighted Cassie's smooth skin and cat-tilt brown eyes. _Doc's gonna go crazy for this one,_ she realized giddily.

Lindsay's dress was classically elegant, a brocade silk strapless number in a deep shade of red that made her brown hair and eyes look softer and her skin more luminous. The dress was deceptively simple, with a skirt that fell to the floor in graceful lines, but when Lindsay saw it, she knew that she wanted Danny to see her in this dress. _This is it. This is the perfect dress, Montana. _

Stella's gown made her look like a Greek goddess. The shimmery champagne colored fabric was a perfect complement to Stella's wild brown hair and intelligent green eyes. The long, slim cut of the dress made her look vibrant and beautiful, exactly like what she was, a woman of the elements. _If this doesn't make that man look, then I don't know what will, _she decided.

Stefano was gazing at all of them, his hands clasped together in front of him. "Ladies, you look beautiful." He held out his hands to Stella, who came to him in a warm embrace. "Thank you, Stef," she whispered.

He patted her back lovingly, "Anything for you, love." He brushed a tear from his eye. He was touched by the starry eyed gazes of the four women as they imagined that special man looking at them in those dresses and he shared their excitement.

"Stella, my pet. Ordinarily, I charge a minimal fee for these dresses, but darling," he sighed enviously. "I can see how much this means to all of you, so consider this my Christmas present." He smiled, "And whoever these men are, they're very lucky."

Stella didn't miss the glance shared by Cassie, Jordan and Lindsay, or that special smile that bloomed on the younger women's faces and she felt a glow of happiness.

The three women moved towards Stefano to engulf him in grateful embraces, "Thank you so much," Lindsay spoke, holding Stefano's hand in genuine affection. "You don't know how much this means to me."

"Or to us," Jordan added, while Cassie smiled at Stefano.

Stefano modestly brushed aside the women's thanks. "I know that when your men see you, they will burst with pride." He gallantly said, "I have never seen women more radiant or beautiful in those dresses, and you know what," he leaned forward and whispered, "I've learned that it's not the dresses, sweethearts." He paused for a moment and finished with a knowing smile, "It's you, and that special glow you get when you think of the man you're wearing that dress for."

* * *

Soon after leaving Stefano's wonderful studio, the women had a quick lunch, then spent the rest of the afternoon hitting the stores for accessories and shoes that will do their gorgeous new dresses justice. 

By five-thirty PM, they were at Danny and Lindsay's apartment, where they decided to extend the girls' day out.

All four women collapsed on the couch, surrounded by garment bags and shopping bags filled with shoes, make-up and other accessories.

Cassie whistled, "I haven't shopped like that in years."

Jordan agreed, "Me neither. I feel like it's been ages since I went shopping with a bunch of friends."

Lindsay smiled at Stella, "Thanks again for introducing us to Stefano, Stel."

Stella waved away the thanks, "It was my pleasure. Plus, I really had a great day with you guys." She stretched on the couch. "But, damn, I'm exhausted."

The other three girls burst out laughing.

"Okay, so what do you guys say? We call for take-out and watch chick flicks?" Lindsay suggested.

Jordan and Cassie grunted their assent, both of them rummaging through the mountain of bags to inspect the purchases of the day.

Lindsay chuckled and asked Stella, "I guess those two are in. What about you, Stella?"

Stella nodded as well, "Count me in."

Lindsay picked up the phone and began dialing. She placed an order in one of the most delicious Chinese places in New York, one of her and Danny's favorites.

Thirty minutes later, the girls were digging into their take-out and chatting about their day. They discussed possible hairstyles, and decided to get ready together at Stella's place and ask the guys to pick them up there.

Stella said, "Which is good, cause Mac figured we deserved a treat and he hired a limo driver to take all of us to the hotel."

Cassie squealed and said, "I am _so_ glad I moved here. Mac's so much nicer than my last boss," she finished, taking another bite of a shrimp dumpling.

Just then, Lindsay heard a key turn in the lock and Danny stepped inside the apartment, shivering slightly from the cold air.

Lindsay got up and walked over to him. "Hey, Messer. How was your day?" she asked before giving him a kiss.

Danny shrugged out of his coat and hung his keys on the hook near the door. "Slow day today, just caught up on paperwork. You guys couldn't have picked a better day to go shopping, Montana."

He caught sight of the mountain of paper bags that now littered their living room and his eyes widened incredulously, "What did you guys do, buy all of New York?"

Lindsay laughed at that and tugged on his hand. "Hey, ladies. Guess who's here?"

Cassie, Jordan and Stella looked up from their take-out containers and waved to Danny. Danny said hi to them and asked Lindsay, "Listen, since you girls are going to be hanging out here, do you mind if I go down to Flack's place?"

Jordan interjected, "Yeah, Don mentioned something about a game."

Just then her phone rang and she checked the caller ID, a smile breaking out across her face. "Speaking of Flack himself," she said as she answered the phone. "Hey, Don." She listened for a while. "Yeah, I'm here at Danny at Lindsay's. Yeah, he's here. Hold on for a minute." She looked at Danny. "He wants to know if you're coming over."

Danny looked at Lindsay, who shrugged and said, "Sure. We'll just stay in tonight." Danny gave Jordan the thumbs up and she went back on the line. "Yeah, he's on his way. He and Lindsay just need to make out for a while. Oof…" she said, as Lindsay threw a pillow at her. "Yeah, I'm just going to stay here at Danny and Lindsay's. Me and the girls are eating take out and watching _My Best Friend's Wedding._" She nodded her head and said, "Okay, I'll call you later. Bye."

She looked at Danny and smirked. "The guys are waiting for you. They're all there already."

Danny glanced at his watch. "Perfect. The game's starting in an hour. I have enough time to take a shower and change." He turned back to Lindsay, "Sure it's okay?"

Lindsay grinned and said, "Danny, it's fine. We talked about this already, remember."

He grinned back at her, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I remember." He gave her a quick kiss. "I'm going to leave you ladies for now."

Lindsay swatted him playfully on the bottom as he turned towards the bedroom. She walked around the couch and plopped down next to Stella who had watched the exchange with mild amusement.

Fifteen minutes later, Danny emerged from the bedroom, dressed casually in a dark green pull-over and jeans. He leaned over the back of the couch and tilted Lindsay's head towards his so he could kiss her good-bye. "I'm going, Montana. Lock the door after me, okay?" He tugged on her hand and she followed him to the door.

Outside the door, Danny wrapped his arms around her and gave her a long, thorough kiss. "Did you guys have a good time today?"

Lindsay nodded, "Yeah, it was a great day. But you're going to have to wait until the party to see the dress."

Danny chuckled and said, "I don't even get to see the dress?"

Lindsay grinned at him and said, "See, we kinda made a pact to keep the dresses a surprise, but I promise you, you'll love it." She pulled his head down to hers and kissed him again.

Afterwards, she reluctantly pulled herself out of his arms and gently pushed him down the hall. "You better go. I don't want you to miss the first part of the game. Say hi to the guys from us okay?"

Danny chuckled and said, "Okay, Montana. I love you."

Lindsay smiled as she said, "I love you too, Messer. I'll wait up for you, okay?"

Danny said, "You don't have to."

Lindsay replied, "I know I don't. I want to though."

Danny smiled softly back at her. "All right, I'll see you later then. Don't forget to lock the door." He walked briskly down the hallway and soon rounded the corner to the elevators.

Lindsay sighed dreamily as she re-entered the apartment. Stella, Cassie and Jordan took one look at her and started giggling and pelting her with the pillows from the couch.

* * *

So, I hope you guys liked this one. :D Wait for the next one, which might be a bit shorter, but will show the guys' night out. And of course, the highly anticipated NYPD Christmas Ball. 

Let me know how you found this one okay? Thanks for all the great reviews and I'm looking forward to hearing from all of you again!:D


	30. The One With the Guys' Night Out

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

Flack opened the door to his apartment and found Danny waiting outside. 

"You're just in time. They're starting the pre-game interviews," Flack said in greeting as Danny stepped inside his apartment and hung his coat on a rack near the door.

When Danny turned to the living room, he found Flack, Hawkes, Marty and Adam sprawled out in various places around the TV. Bowls of chips and bottles of beer were on the coffee table, making Danny smile in anticipation of an evening with friends doing the usual things all American guys did: watching sports and eating junk food.

Walking over the couch, Danny stepped over Adam, who was sprawled out on the floor, and was contentedly munching from a big bag of chips that he had placed on top of his stomach.

Hawkes looked up from the floor, where he was propped up on a small mountain of cushions stolen from the sofa. "Heard the girls emptied out the stores, Danny," he remarked with a smile.

Danny rolled his eyes as he made room for himself on the couch by pushing Marty and Flack to the side. "That's an understatement. When I got home, I couldn't even see the floor of our living room. There were that many bags."

Flack grinned excitedly, "Guess that means they're going to be getting all dolled up for us."

Danny shrugged. "Guess so. But we won't find out until the party itself."

Marty asked, "Why?"

Danny rolled his eyes again as he answered that question. "Don't really know, Pino. Montana said the girls had a 'pact'," he said, making air quotes with his fingers. "No showing us the dresses until the party."

Hawkes smiled in anticipation, "I wonder why."

Flack caught the grin on Hawkes' face and asked dryly, "Why do you look so happy about the idea of a surprise, Hawkes?"

Hawkes shrugged modestly. "Nothing. It's just that I've learned that when Cassie says she has a surprise for me, it's usually a good thing," he answered, unable to keep a wicked smile from splitting his face.

Adam saw Hawkes' face and grimaced, "Eww. Stop it!" He shuddered, "That's my partner you're talking about for crying out loud!"

Hawkes merely laughed and tossed some popcorn at Adam.

Flack turned the conversation back to the earlier topic. "So, we don't get to see these magical dresses, at all, until the party itself?"

Danny nodded in confirmation. "'Fraid so, man. I even heard that they're going to get ready at Stella's and we're supposed to pick them up together, cause Mac hired a limo for all of us."

Adam piped up, "A limo? Seriously?" He shook his head, "Mac can be a really cool boss sometimes."

Marty inquired, "Who are you bringing to the party anyways, Adam?"

Adam shrugged, "Don't know yet." He stretched out, tucking his hands behind his head as he spoke, "Haven't really thought about it actually."

Marty said, "I heard Trina from Ballistics likes you."

The other guys were surprised to see Adam blush.

Flack said delightedly, "Well, well, Adam my boy." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Looks like we got a prospect there. Why don't you ask her to go with you?"

Adam sighed and said, "I don't know, you guys." He shifted uncomfortably. "Isn't it a bit scary to go out with a chick who's really good with guns?"

Danny answered sarcastically, "Well, I don't really know, cause my girlfriend's not just good with guns, but also with scary-ass looking bows that shoot arrows at 200 kilometers per hour." He lifted his brows sardonically at Flack and asked, "What about you, Flack?"

Flack shrugged. "Don't really know, Dan. My girlfriend's also kinda good with guns. Bit needed for her job and all, given the fact that she's a cop."

Adam looked injured and turned to Marty and Hawkes for support. "Tell me you guys at least see my point."

Marty nodded thoughtfully. "Guess you're right, Adam. Hell hath no fury like a scorned woman who knows her way around guns and all that jazz."

Hawkes just laughed at all of them. "Don't look at me. Cassie may not know her way around guns, but that woman is pure magic with chemicals. I'm telling you guys, one day, I piss her off enough and Pino here will be scratching his head finding the cause of death." He rolled his eyes and said, "She'll probably poison me with a new substance she invented just to make me suffer."

Marty laughed uproariously at that.

Danny changed the subject asked, "How 'bout you, Pino? Who're you taking?"

Marty smiled modestly, "This woman that I met in the NYC library."

Hawkes spoke up, "Yeah, Cassie mentioned her. What's her name again?"

Marty replied, "Lisa Schaeffer. She's a grad student at NYC."

Danny smirked, "Guess you did your wonder boy bit with her, didn't ya?"

Marty shrugged, "What can I say? Women these days really do prefer brains." He grinned. "Although it helps that I'm… What's that word women use again? Ah… Adorable."

Flack groaned and threw a pillow at Marty's head.

Marty caught the pillow and pushed it behind his head. "Thanks, Flack." His thoughts wandered. "But seriously guys, aren't you the least bit curious about these dresses?" He let his imagination take over, "They could be, like, really low cut… Or slit really high… Or backless… Or maybe even transparent…" he said, his voice trailing off.

The four other men followed his train of thought and were lost in images of Lindsay, Jordan and Cassie in wonderfully revealing gowns.

Then Adam said dreamily, "Damn. You guys are really lucky to have hot girlfriends. If Marty's right about any of these things, you're going to have every cop in the NYPD drooling over your girlfriends."

Danny, Flack and Hawkes were pulled out of their daydream at the same time and they cast horrified glances at each other.

Danny muttered, "Flack, we gotta take a look at those dresses before the party." Flack nodded vigorously.

Hawkes overheard and said, "You're right." He shuddered, "Who knows what those women are up to?"

Danny shot him a look. "I thought you and Cassie have this thing about surprises."

Hawkes shrugged in response. "Well, the surprises are usually good for me. But I most certainly don't want every cop in New York hitting on Cassie. It'd totally ruin Christmas."

Suddenly Adam interrupted, "Guys! The game's starting!"

The four other men quickly turned their attention to the television. But Flack, Danny and Hawkes' minds were still on the mysterious dresses.

All three were wondering the same thing. _I wonder if I could make her break that pact?_

* * *

At ten in the evening, Danny opened the door and let himself, Flack and Hawkes into his and Lindsay's apartment. The guys had decided to come home with Danny and walk the girls home and hopefully, find out what all the fuss was about. 

They entered the apartment to find Jordan, Cassie and Lindsay on the couch, watching _Jerry Maguire. _They had just gotten to the part where Renee Zellweger says, "Shut up. Just shut up."

The guys started to speak, but all three women distractedly motioned for them to keep quiet at the same time. Danny, Flack and Hawkes exchanged amused grins, and waited patiently for the part to be over so they could kiss their girlfriends hello.

When the scene was over, all three women had misty eyes and the guys ventured forward. Danny and Flack plopped on the couch next to Jordan and Lindsay, while Hawkes perched on the armrest of the recliner where Cassie was curled up.

"So," Flack said casually. "How was shopping today?" He draped his arm around Jordan's shoulders and she nestled closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. He gestured playfully to the mess of bags that were still littered all over Danny and Lindsay's living room and said, "Looks like you guys found what you were looking for," he teased.

"We definitely did," Jordan answered, flashing conspiratorial smiles at Cassie and Lindsay.

Cassie linked her fingers lazily with Hawkes' and agreed with Jordan, "Stella's great to go shopping with."

Lindsay chimed in, "I told you, she knows all the best places. And I said that even before today," she pointed out, returning her friends' sly smiles.

Danny was starting to look pained. "Okay. There is way too much smiling between the three of you. What's with these dresses anyways?" He rose quickly from the couch and started peering into the various bags.

"Come on, Cass," Hawkes urged. "Let me see the dress you got."

He was surprised when Cassie shook her head regretfully. "Sorry, Doc. No can do. We promised."

Jordan grinned when Flack opened his mouth, "Don't even try asking cause I won't. It's a surprise."

Lindsay just rolled her eyes at Danny, who was still hunting through the shopping bags. "Give it up, Messer. The dresses aren't there. We had Stella take them home, cause we knew you guys would get snoopy and the only safe place was Stella's apartment."

Danny sighed in defeat and fell back down on the couch with a whoosh of air, putting his arm around Lindsay. "Fine, fine," he grumbled. He turned to Lindsay suddenly. "Just tell me one thing, Montana. Is it going to make me freak out?"

Lindsay regarded him thoughtfully, "Freak out in a good way or a bad way?"

Danny was starting to look frazzled while Flack and Hawkes watched in silent anticipation. Out of the three of them, Danny probably stood the best chance of getting an answer to the question that had been haunting the three of them ever since Marty brought it up.

Danny growled, "When am I ever freaked out in a good way?"

Lindsay merely smiled wickedly at him and watched as Danny's face changed when he got her drift. He cleared his throat distractedly before continuing, "Okay, in a bad way then."

Lindsay leaned back until she was encircled in Danny's arms again. "Hmm… What would make you freak out in a bad way?"

At this point, Flack got so impatient that he asked, "What he means is, did you guys buy dresses that will have the entire police force drooling at you the entire night?"

Jordan laughed and she joked, "Baby, don't you think the entire NYPD is _already_ drooling over us right now?"

Hawkes considered the question and said, "She's got a point there, guys." He tightened his grip on Cassie's fingers. "Face it, gentlemen. We happen to be lucky enough to be going out with three of the most beautiful women in New York." Cassie smiled at the faint note of pride she heard in Hawkes' voice.

Flack and Danny both let Hawkes' words sink in. And they realized that he was right.

Danny leaned down and kissed Lindsay's temple. "Well, I guess that's the downside of having a really gorgeous girlfriend."

Lindsay laughed softly and said, "See, Messer, I knew you'd see it my way." She kissed him softly and said, "Don't worry, I promise it will be worth the wait."

"Same here," Jordan whispered to Flack, who grinned and hugged her.

"Me too," Cassie said, smiling smugly at Hawkes, who laughed at the cat-ate-the-canary expression on Cassie's pretty face.

The three couples sat there contentedly. When the movie finished and the credits started rolling, Flack and Hawkes held out their hands to tug Jordan and Cassie to their feet.

Hawkes said, "We better get going."

Jordan said, "Yeah, we'll see you guys around."

Danny laughed, "Till the next case, I guess."

The two couples soon left the apartment and made their separate ways home.

Lindsay grasped Danny's hand in hers. "Let's get some rest, cowboy. I'm exhausted."

Danny laughed, "Yeah, walking around the city carrying around a hundred bags can do that to you." He let himself be pulled to his feet and he and Lindsay walked to their bedroom.

A few minutes later, Lindsay's voice floated out from the bathroom where she was changing. "Danny?"

Danny answered, "What?"

"Remember when you asked me earlier, when do you get freaked out in a good way?"

Danny answered as he turned towards the bathroom door, "Yeah…" his voice trailed off as he saw Lindsay standing in the bathroom door, dressed in a lacey-silky little red nightie that fell high on her thigh.

Danny licked his suddenly dry lips and croaked out, "Yeah, this is a pretty good way to get freaked out." He smiled crookedly and held his arms out. "Come here, Montana."

* * *

This is it for tonight. It's a short chapter and I think the next one will lead up to the NYPD Christmas Ball already. Find out if Danny or Lindsay won the bet, cause Flack and Jordan will be moving in together soon. 

Please review. I'm sorry if it's a short chapter, but there's really not much you can say about guys' nights out. :D I await your reviews with bated breath!


	31. The One Where They Get Off Work Early

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

It was the perfect day for the Christmas Ball. Everything in the cosmos seemed to be aligning for the special night planned for New York's finest.

The weather was mildly cold, with a light dusting of snow that seemed so different from the usual New York sludge that everybody hated. Instead, they got small flurries that put into mind curling on a couch with a mug of hot chocolate, wrapped in your special someone's arms.

Even the crime rate was cooperating. It had been a slow day, with most of the team catching up on paperwork that had piled up and finishing old cases.

At around three in the afternoon, Stella barged into Danny and Lindsay's shared office and said, "Hey, Monroe!"

Lindsay looked up to see Stella walking to her desk. "Hey, Stel," Lindsay replied, pushing a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. "What's up?"

Stella perched casually on the desk and said, "You all done with your paperwork?"

Lindsay nodded. "Uh-huh. We both are," she said, motioning to a far corner of the office, where Danny was slouched at his desk and surfing the internet.

Stella grinned widely, "Grab your stuff, Linds. Mac's letting us go early to get ready for the Ball."

Lindsay smiled delightedly and asked, "All of us? Including Cassie?"

Stella nodded happily and said with a laugh, "What are you waiting for, Monroe? Let's go."

Lindsay's lips curved into a smile as she said, "All right, all right." She quickly stood and walked over to where Danny was lazily scrolling through various web pages.

Danny protested, "Hey, Montana, where ya going?"

Lindsay laughed at his expression and said, "Me and Stella are leaving early to go get ready for the Ball." She dropped a quick kiss on Danny's lips and started to walk towards the door. "Stel, can you wait for me here? I'm just going to the locker room and we can go get Cassie on the way out."

Before Lindsay walked away, Danny caught her hand and said, "By the way, I forgot to ask you something. I couldn't find my tux this morning. You happen to notice it when we cleaned out the closet when you moved in?"

Lindsay rolled her eyes as she answered, "Don't forget to pick up your tux at the dry cleaner's. I dropped it off two days ago, I figured you'd forget."

Danny said, "Thanks, Linds." He pulled her down to give her a grateful kiss and grinned at Stella, "I got the best girlfriend in the world."

In response to that, Lindsay rolled her eyes again, but she couldn't prevent the slight curling of her lips and the warm fuzzy feeling caused by his words. "I'll be back in a minute, Stella."

Stella grinned back at Danny in amusement. "You guys sound like an old married couple."

Danny blinked and looked at her, "What?"

Stella explained, "You couldn't find your tux, and she says she took it to the dry cleaners cause you'd forget? You guys sound like something on a sitcom."

Danny forehead furrowed in thought. "We do sound like a married couple, don't we?" He stared off into the distance, trailing off as he considered what Stella said.

Stella thought in amazement. _Well, well. I mention marriage and Danny didn't get freaked out. This has got to be a first._

Just then, Lindsay re-entered the room. "All set, Stel. Let's go get Cassie."

Stella nodded, her eyes dancing slightly with the new knowledge she gained in the past three minutes. "By the way, I already called Jordan. Flack's driving her to my apartment after they finish up on something."

Stella then turned to Danny and said, "Hey, Danny. I don't think you heard what I said. Mac's letting everyone go early so we could get ready."

Danny was still staring off into space, mulling quietly to himself. Stella stifled a grin and whistled loudly, making Danny jerk at the sudden noise and say, "Huh?"

Stella couldn't help it this time, she smiled widely. "I said, Mac gave all of us the afternoon off so we could get ready for tonight. That includes the guys."

Danny nodded, finally getting it. Lindsay noticed his sudden silence and preoccupation and shot him a worried look as she walked over to him, placing her hand on his arm. "Danny," she asked anxiously, "everything all right?"

Danny blinked distractedly and saw Lindsay looking at him, her beautiful brown eyes clouded in concern. He smiled reassuringly at her and said, "No, I just spaced out for a while." He lifted himself from the chair to kiss her gently and gave her a hug. "You girls go on and get yourselves ready for us. I'll stay here for a bit longer but I might go home soon to get ready."

He slung his arm around Lindsay as he walked her to the door, with Stella trailing behind, staring speculatively at Danny. At the door, Danny kissed Lindsay again and said, "I'll call you when we're on our way, okay? All the guys will meet up here so the limo can pick us up and we'll come get you girls at Stella's."

Lindsay smiled, her worry gone. "All right, Messer. I'll see you later, okay?"

Danny grinned back at her and said, "Go. I'm excited to see that dress you've been keeping a secret from me."

Lindsay tossed a sassy grin over her shoulder as she and Stella walked away. "Trust me, cowboy. It's worth it."

* * *

Like Danny and Lindsay, Hawkes had also finished the backlog that had been sitting on his desk. Since no new cases had come in, he found himself wandering towards the Trace Lab to see what Cassie was up to.

He found her playing poker with Adam on one of the tables, her back to the door.

He decided to movie quietly and sneak up on her, lifting one finger to his lips to motion Adam to keep quiet. Adam nodded slightly to show that he understood.

He was just about to poke his fingers into her sides to tickle her when she said in an ominous voice. "Sheldon Hawkes, don't even think about it."

Hawkes dropped his hands to his sides in disappointment. Taking a seat on the lab stool next to her, he grumbled, "How did you even know I was here? I was really quiet."

Cassie rolled her eyes in exasperation and said, "I guess even guys with genius IQs have their moments." She explained, "In case you haven't noticed, this entire lab is built with glass, which by the way reflects."

Hawkes sighed again and conceded, "Fine, you win."

Adam interjected, "What time is the limo picking you guys up tonight?"

Hawkes shrugged and said, "All I know is that we're all meeting here and then we're heading to Stella's to pick up the girls." He realized something, "You're not riding with us?"

Adam shook his head and said, "Nope. Trina needs to finish something and we'll be a little late so I can't hitch with you guys."

Hawkes grinned at Adam, "Guess you got over your fear, huh?"

Cassie interjected, "What fear?"

Adam blushed and quickly said, "Nothing, nothing."

He was saved by Stella and Lindsay's arrival.

"Hey, Cass," Lindsay said. "You busy?"

Cassie shook her head. "Nope. Not unless you count kicking Adam's ass in poker as busy."

Hawkes, Stella and Lindsay laughed at Cassie's reply while Adam tried to look hurt. "Hey, you were not kicking my ass. You were… mildly mistreating it."

Cassie snorted and waved her hand. "Semantics." She turned to Stella, "Why? What's up?"

Lindsay said excitedly, "Grab your stuff, Cass. Mac's letting us leave early so we can get ready for tonight."

"Awesome!" Cassie exclaimed. She walked quickly to one corner of the lab and grabbed a small duffel bag that held the basic necessities for getting ready for a big party and grinned at the other two women, "Okay, I'm all set."

Hawkes laughed and said, "Looks like you guys are ready to go." He reached out for Cassie's hand and pulled her close for a quick goodbye kiss. "I'll call you when we're on our way, okay?"

She kissed him back briefly and grinned at him, "Sure thing, Doc." She hugged him one last time and followed Lindsay and Stella out of the lab.

* * *

Meanwhile, Flack and Jordan were on the way to Stella's apartment.

"So let me get this straight," Flack asked, perplexed. "All _four_ of you are going to get ready at Stella's apartment?"

"Uh-huh," Jordan answered distractedly, rummaging in her purse for her phone. She found it and slipped it back into the clip at her waist before turning her attention to Don. "Why?"

"Well," he said, "I just don't understand why women have to get ready for these things together." He reasoned, "I mean, Danny, Hawkes and I are going to this thing too, but we're going home to our separate apartments and meeting at the lab."

Laughing, Jordan replied teasingly, "That's cause it doesn't take much work to make you guys gorgeous. I mean, you guys take a shower and slip on a tux and there you go."

She continued, "Now us women on the other hand, have to do a million and one things before we can be considered properly attired for any formal gathering."

Flack shrugged his shoulders and said, "If you ask me, you could take a shower and put on that new dress of yours --," he glowered at her, "-- which by the way, I haven't seen yet, and you'd look perfect already."

Jordan melted inside at the sweetness of his words. She leaned across the front seat of the car to press a brief kiss on his cheek. "Thanks, baby. That's really sweet of you to say that."

He grinned at her and then he grew quiet as they reached Stella's building.

Jordan noticed his sudden silence and asked, "Don?"

Flack glanced at her, "Hmmm?"

Jordan pressed, "What's on your mind? You look a million miles away."

For a minute he looked uncertain. A slightly nervous look appeared on his face as he parked the car on an empty slot in front of Stella's building and killed he engine. Then he squared his shoulders and said, "Actually, I've been meaning to ask you something."

Jordan grew concerned at the sudden seriousness of his tone. "What is it, Don?"

Flack reached across the seat and took her hand in his. "See, I've been thinking," he paused for a moment, unsure of how to continue. Then he remembered the first time they kissed, when Jordan let him know that she appreciated his directness. He took a deep breath and decided to bite the bullet.

"I want to ask you to move in with me."

Jordan's eyes widened. "What?"

Flack repeated himself, a little surer this time. "I said I want to ask you to move in with me."

Jordan was floored. A happy, giddy feeling started in the region of her heart and engulfed her entire being. "Are you sure?"

Flack nodded, looking straight into her eyes. "Thing is, I kinda like waking up next to you in the morning, and being at home without you there…" he trailed off, trying to find the words. "It's just not the same I guess. It's lonelier. I think my apartment's sad when you're not there," he attempted to joke.

Then he looked straight into her eyes and all traces of joking fled. "Most of all, I'm sad when you're not home with me," he said softly.

Jordan was unable to keep the smile from breaking across her face and she curled her palm tenderly over his jaw. "Well, we don't want any apartments to be sad, so I guess I'll have to move in with you."

Flack smiled in relief. _She said yes._ "Really?"

Jordan nodded. "Uh-huh."

Flack reached out to give her a tight hug. He pressed a kiss into her hair and said softly, "I love you, Jordan."

For the second time in the last ten minutes, Jordan's eyes widened and she pulled back, looking at Don with emerald eyes shining with suppressed happiness. "You love me?"

Flack grinned and lightly rubbed his fingers over her smooth cheek. "Yes. I really do."

Jordan slipped back into his arms, hugging him tightly. "I love you too," she whispered back softly against his neck.

They sat there for a moment, savoring the feeling of being in each other's arms, intimacy elevated to a new level when they both said the words they had been feeling for quite some time.

Suddenly, Jordan giggled.

Flack pulled back a little and gazed down into her happy face. "What?"

Jordan answered, "I just remembered that you hate moving and now we have to do it again."

Flack groaned, "Damn." Then his face softened as he whispered to her, "Good thing you're worth it, Addison."

Then he lowered his head to hers and kissed her thoroughly.

* * *

The next chapter will show the girls getting ready and the guys' reactions when they see their women in their gorgeous new dresses.

So who exactly won the bet, Danny or Lindsay? Stick around to find out more in the next chapters.

NYPD Christmas Ball coming up:D Please review! It means a whole lot to me when you guys tell me what you think about the latest additions to the story. Thanks again to all those who took the time to review. :D


	32. The One Where They Pick the Girls Up

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

After a while, Jordan and Flack reluctantly disentangled themselves from each other's arm. Flack caught Jordan's face in his hands and kissed her again, saying in a hoarse voice, "I think you better go upstairs. If you don't I just might take you home with me and we'll never get to that party and Chief Roberts will get mad at us." 

Jordan laughed and answered, "You're right." She pulled back and released the seat belt, reaching into the car's back seat to retrieve the small duffel bag she stashed there earlier.

Flack eyed the bag suspiciously, "What the hell's in that thing anyways?"

Jordan laughed at the mystified look on his face. "It's full of stuff that will fix me up for tonight."

Flack shook his head. "I'm never going to understand why women need so many things."

Jordan teased, "I'll remember that the next time you ask me to buy moisturizer for you."

Flack flushed and said defensively, "Hey, my face gets dry when it gets cold and it hurts."

"Whatever, Don," Jordan grinned as she leaned over to brush a kiss over Flack's lips. She reached for the door handle and said, "I'll see you later okay?"

Flack nodded and called out as she stepped out of the car, "I'll call you when we're on our way."

* * *

Jordan floated all the way upstairs to Stella's apartment, a dreamy smile curving her lips as she rang the doorbell. 

Lindsay answered the door, wearing a bathrobe with a towel wrapped turban-style around her head. "Finally! We were wondering where you were."

Cassie chimed in behind Lindsay, "Yeah, we were about to call you."

Jordan walked inside, a goofy smile still on her face.

Cassie and Lindsay exchanged a look at the sight of Jordan's face as she walked past them to fall down on the couch. She looked like she possessed the world's greatest secret.

The two women marched over and sandwiched Jordan between them on the couch.

"What's with the face?" Cassie demanded.

Jordan looked at her, still grinning, "What?"

Lindsay rolled her eyes, "The face that looks like a smile is permanently etched on it."

Jordan looked down at her hands and said shyly, "Don asked me to move in with him."

Cassie and Lindsay looked at each other and called out at the same time, "STELLA!"

Stella shot out of the bedroom, clad only in a towel with her curly hair pinned up. "What? What happened?"

She found her three friends gathered together on the couch and rushed over, "What's the emergency?" she asked, taking in Lindsay and Cassie's excited faces.

Jordan smiled at Stella, "Don asked me to move in with him."

Stella's face lit up in delight. "That's great, Jordan!" She leaned close to give her friend a happy hug.

Lindsay was grinning, "This is so cool! Wait until Danny finds out --," she stopped suddenly, her eyes gleaming. "Wait. What date is it today?"

Stella, Cassie and Jordan looked at her, puzzled at her reaction. Jordan answered distractedly, "It's the twenty-second. Why?"

Lindsay's eyes sparkled again, this time in triumph. "Oh, it's nothing." She attempted to change the subject and nudged Stella, "Who would have thought, huh Stel?"

Stella looked at her in amusement. She suspected that something was going on, but she didn't probe. "What? That Flack would eventually get serious about a relationship?" Stella snorted, "I bet people were saying the same thing when you and Danny moved in together."

Lindsay blushed, a small smile forming on her face. She waved her hand, "Anyways, Jordan, can I be the one to tell Danny?" she asked, a diabolical grin on her face.

Jordan grinned back at her friend and said, "Sure. Unless Don tells him first."

Lindsay waved her hand again. "Let me worry about that." She jumped up from the couch. "Come on, ladies. We've got to get ready."

The other three women laughed and rose from the couch, heading for Stella's bedroom.

Stella started calling out orders. "Okay, Lindsay, since you're done taking a shower, let me start on your hair. Cassie and Jordan, take a shower."

As the rest of the afternoon passed, laughter and shrieks were heard from behind the door and the excitement in the four women mounted as they got ready for their men.

In separate apartments all over New York, Danny Messer, Sheldon Hawkes, Don Flack Jr. and Mac Taylor went through the usual routines of men getting ready for a big night.

Preparations weren't as big a deal for the men as it was for the women and in no time at all, the men were all dressed up.

They had arranged to meet at the Crime Lab at six-thirty to pick up the girls. Hawkes, Flack and Danny walked into Mac's office to find him still hard at work, going through some papers on his desk.

Flack complained, "Jesus, Mac. Don't you ever stop working?"

Mac smiled briefly, "I'm just trying to get some work done while waiting for the three of you."

Danny interjected, "Mac, we're not late. See? It's six-thirty."

Mac smiled again, "You're not late. I'm just early."

Hawkes groaned, "Typical Mac."

Mac swept the papers on his desk into a neat pile and stood up, shutting down his computer. "The front desk just called. The limo's here. Let's go."

The three detectives followed him down and soon, they were en route to Stella's apartment.

Once they were inside the limo, Danny, Flack and Hawkes all reached for their phones and made a call.

"Hey Montana. We're on our way." A pause. "Okay. I'll see you later." _Click_.

"We're on the way, Jordan. You guys done?" A pause. "Okay, see you later. Bye." _Click_.

"Cass, we're on the way already." A pause. "Okay. I'll see you in a bit." _Click_.

Mac looked at all of them in amusement. "So what was the point of the three of you making the same call?" He watched as the three shifted uncomfortably.

Danny and Flack glared at Hawkes until he sighed and answered Mac's question reluctantly. "Well, we kinda promised."

Mac let out a quick laugh and shrugged as he said, "Alright, I can respect that." A silent moment of understanding passed between the four men.

As they leaned back into the plush seats of the limo Mac rented for them, Hawkes sighed and said, "This was definitely one of your better ideas, Mac."

Mac said, "Actually, it wasn't my idea. Stella twisted my arm until I gave in."

Flack laughed, "I swear to God, Stella is the only person in the world who can do that."

In the darkness, no one could see the flush that crept up Mac's neck.

To Mac's relief, Danny changed the subject. "Finally we get to see those mysterious dresses." He grimaced. "I've been trying to convince Montana to break that damned pact for the past few days and all she does is laugh at me."

Mac asked, "What pact is this?"

Hawkes explained, "Remember when the women went shopping?" Mac nodded and Hawkes continued, "Well, apparently, they're really pleased with their purchases and they wanted to surprise us. So they made a pact that they wouldn't show us their dresses until tonight."

This was one of the few times in his life that Mac was baffled. "Why would they want to do that?"

Danny, Flack and Hawkes shrugged their shoulders at the same time.

Danny said, "I don't really know. But whatever the reason is, Montana refused to break that pact."

Flack groaned, "I know. Jordan wouldn't either."

Hawkes added glumly, "Add Cassie to the list of women who won't break the pact."

Mac had to smile at the expressions on the guys' faces.

Exactly at that moment, the limo pulled up in front of Stella's building.

Mac let out a short laugh that surprised the Danny, Flack and Hawkes. Mac motioned outside and said, "Well, your waiting is about to end. We're here at Stella's."

One by one, they got out of the limo. All of them looked breathtakingly handsome dressed up in formal wear.

First there was Danny. With his slightly messy sandy blond hair and blue eyes, he had that bad boy look that made most women itch to reform him. But this reformed bad boy only had eyes for one country girl with a smile that could light up his city.

There was Flack with his tall frame, broad shoulders and baby blue eyes that had the lab techs yearning for a glimpse every time he went to the crime lab on a case and made many women want to commit crimes just to be picked up by the handsome detective. But sadly for these women, he was head over heels in love with another country girl with emerald eyes.

There was Sheldon Hawkes, with his quiet smile and cool intelligence, left women wondering what stirred beneath that calm façade. Unfortunately, his heart already belonged to a fireball with a big heart and a razor-sharp mind that matched his own.

Then there was Mac, with his aloof and mysterious persona in place. He also attracted his share of gazes from women who wondered what made this man tick. What the world didn't know was that his unruffled armor had already been cracked by a tough, scrappy fighter with a riot of brown curls.

Oh, yes. These men were a sight to behold as they strode through the lobby of Stella's building and made their way to the elevators.

As they were about to enter the elevator, Mac's phone began to ring. He answered it with a curt, "Taylor", motioning for the other men to go on up ahead without him.

In a few minutes, the three men were knocking on Stella's door.

A voice called out, "Just a minute." Then Stella peeked out from behind the door. "Good, you guys are here." She quickly let them in and instructed them to wait in the living room.

The three guys plopped down on the couch, mystified by Stella's strange behavior. She asked, "Where's Mac?"

Flack answered, "We left him downstairs. He had to take a call, but he'll be up in a minute."

Danny took in Stella's appearance and whistled, "Wow, Stel. You look great."

And Stella did look great. Her champagne colored dress hugged her curves in the right places and brought to mind the image of a sensual goddess with her curls pulled back in a loose twist that left several strands framing her face. The neutral color of the dress highlighted the brilliance of her eyes and the radiance of her smile.

Stella beamed at Danny and said, "You ain't seen nothing yet, Messer." She paused and looked expectantly at the three men. "You guys ready?"

Danny, Flack and Hawkes exchanged amused glances, wondering why there was so much fanfare. But to humor Stella, who they all loved like a big sister, they all nodded.

"Alright," Stella said. She cleared her throat and called out, "Cassie, Hawkes is here."

Stella watched in amusement as Hawkes' jaw dropped when Cassie came out of the bedroom. "Sweet Lord," he muttered, half-reverently, as he took in the sight of his girlfriend. Cassie was absolutely right when she figured that Hawkes would be nuts about the dress.

Her delicate frame was emphasized by the frothy skirt, but her light brown skin gleamed against the off-white, pearly color of her dress. Her hair had been pulled back in a sleek knot at the base of her neck, which emphasized her smooth and slim shoulders.

Hawkes stood up in a daze and walked over to her. "Wow!" he managed, lowering his head to capture her lips in a kiss.

Danny and Flack were now looking towards the door with more anticipation, Stella noted.

She called the next one out, "Jordan, your date's here."

From the bedroom, out walked Jordan. The closer she came, the more Flack's eyes glazed over at the beautiful woman standing before him. He stood up unsteadily, much like Hawkes did, and approached her.

She looked at him with smiling eyes. The color of her dress was almost the exact same shade of her eyes and the fabric shimmered subtly with every move she made. As she crossed the room to meet him halfway, he realized that the top half of the back was bare. Soon, she stood in front of him and smiled teasingly and asked in a soft voice, "You like it?"

Flack had to clear his throat before he could answer. "I love you," he said simply, making Jordan blush and smile. _Damn, she's beautiful._

By now, Danny had stood up from the couch, impatiently waiting for Lindsay to come out. Both Flack and Hawkes now had their arms possessively wound around Jordan and Cassie's waists as they waited with Danny.

Stella smiled affectionately at Danny's eager anticipation and said, "Lindsay, Danny's here."

Danny's breath rushed out as Lindsay walked towards him. The deep red color of the dress she had chosen to wear for him was the perfect complement to her brown hair and eyes, and the simple lines drew more attention to the glowing woman who was wearing it. As he gazed at her in mute admiration, he thought, _I _am_ the luckiest man in the world._

Danny walked swiftly towards her and said gruffly, "You look beautiful, Linds." He bent down and kissed her deeply. She smiled softly at him and stepped closer to slide her arm around his waist as his arm encircled her bare shoulders.

Danny leaned close to her ear and whispered, "You're right. This was a great surprise."

The three couples walked arm-in-arm out of the door, oblivious to the world. They didn't even notice Mac walk past them in the hallway. Mac asked, "There you are. Where's Stella?"

No one answered him. They didn't hear him, so lost they were in each other's presence. Mac shook his head and suppressed a smile. He walked to Stella's apartment and knocked.

"Just a second," Stella called out from behind the door. She checked the peephole and saw Mac waiting patiently for her outside the door.

Stella stepped back and took a deep breath. Then she flung the door open and smiled at Mac.

Mac's customary stoic expression dissolved into amazement as he took Stella in. He had always found her beautiful, but the way she looked tonight, he was unprepared and hadn't been able to steel himself from reacting to her so obviously.

But tonight as he gazed at the proud, elegantly beautiful woman in front of him, a lump grew in his throat against his will, making him unable to talk. Silently, he offered his arm to her, which she accepted gracefully.

Stella let out the breath that she had been holding in unconsciously as she waited for Mac's reaction. If she didn't know him so well, she probably would have missed the subtle change in his expression. But she did know him well, and she caught the glimmer of admiration in his eyes. The mere fact that he had been unable to speak made a hopeful feeling rise in Stella's heart.

They walked arm-in-arm to the car, where Danny and Lindsay, Flack and Jordan, and Cassie and Hawkes waited for them. They were already seated inside the limo when Mac opened the door for Stella and helped her in.

Stella slipped in and took a seat next to Cassie, who was curled up next to Hawkes. Mac quickly occupied the only remaining seat, next to Stella.

Danny tapped briskly on the glass divider to cue the driver and the car rolled smoothly away, starting the ride to the hotel.

* * *

That's all I've got for tonight. Wait and see how Danny reacts when he finds out that Flack already asked Jordan to move in and he lost the bet. Also, stay tuned for the NYPD Christmas Ball. 

What do you think of this one? Please don't forget to review cause I really look forward to hearing from you. :D

Thanks a bunch and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	33. The One With the NYPD Christmas Ball

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

It was a fun-filled limo ride to the hotel where the NYPD Christmas Ball was being held. 

Five minutes after the car pulled away from Stella's building, Lindsay looked smugly at Danny and said, "Guess what?"

Danny asked, "What?"

Lindsay couldn't resist smirking as she cupped her hand around his ear and whispered, "Flack asked Jordan to move in with him."

Danny exclaimed loudly, "They're moving in together?!"

Beside Lindsay and Danny, Flack looked down at Jordan and said dryly, "I'm assuming they're talking about us."

Jordan choked back a laugh and said indignantly, "Yeah. Couldn't even wait until we're not around."

Danny turned to Flack accusingly and said, "You only asked her to move in just _now_?"

Against his will, Flack reddened. He looked back and Jordan and twined his fingers with hers as he said, "Well, I've been thinking about it for a while now. But yeah, I only asked her today."

Danny groaned and smacked the palm of his hand against Flack's head. "A while? How far back are we talking about here?" Lindsay laughed at his reaction.

Flack shrugged, his gaze still fixed on Jordan's face. "I don't know. About a week after you and Lindsay moved in together?"

Danny growled, "A week after we moved in together? That was before the fifteenth! You should have asked her then!"

Flack and Jordan stared suspiciously at Danny, puzzled by his strange reaction to their news and the self-satisfied expression on Lindsay's face.

"Wait a minute," Jordan said. "Why does it matter when he asked me?" She turned her gaze sternly to Lindsay, who was trying to school her face into an innocent expression.

"What?" Lindsay hedged. "I'm happy for you, but Messer here's being such an ass as always."

Flack was also starting to catch on. "Oh, Messer being an ass? I agree with you there, Monroe. But something tells me that there's more to this than that."

Mac regarded Danny and Lindsay formidably and they crumbled under his gaze. They ducked their heads like a couple of chastised schoolchildren and both flinched when Mac spoke. "How much did you guys bet?"

Danny and Lindsay looked up in surprise and saw Mac struggling to hold back a grin.

Danny sighed. _We're not getting out of this one._ He jerked his thumb at Lindsay and grumbled, "Me and Montana had a bet about when Flack would ask Jordan to move in with him."

Stella was already chuckling. "Who bet on what?"

This time, Lindsay answered, "Danny said that he'd ask her before the fifteenth and I said Flack would wait. Since he asked her just today, it means I won and Danny can't get over it," she finished, unable to keep another triumphant smirk off her face.

Hawkes asked with great interest, "So what does Lindsay get, Danny?"

Danny sighed again and muttered, "Fifty bucks and bragging rights."

The rest of the limo burst out laughing. Lindsay joined in after a while and said, "You owe me fifty bucks, Messer."

Danny growled and pointed his finger at Flack, "There is no way I'm helping you guys move furniture. Go ask Hawkes to help, he's never helped before."

Hawkes raised his eyebrows and looked at Cassie, "How did I get dragged into this?"

Cassie sighed and said, "Don't really know, Doc. But Jordan already asked me if we could help them move and I said yes, so you're helping."

Beside her, Hawkes groaned while the other occupants of the limo burst out into laughter. he rolled his eyes, "Fine, but you're making it up to me."

Cassie just slid a wicked glance his way. _You bet, Doc,_ she promised with her eyes.

From where she was cuddled under Flack's arm, Jordan spoke up with a grin, "Y'know what this reminds me of?"

Flack answered, "What?"

Jordan chuckled and said, "Prom night."

"Yeah, it kinda does, doesn't it?" Cassie mused, linking her fingers with Hawkes'. "Hanging out in a limo with friends, all dressed up with your dates and stuff."

Just then, the limo driver pulled up at the driveway of the elegant hotel.

Mac was the first one out of the limo, offering his hand to help Stella alight from the car. After them, Hawkes and Cassie followed, then Flack and Jordan and lastly, Danny and Lindsay.

The four couples walked arm-in-arm to the far end of the hotel, where the ball room was.

Flack commented, "Wow! They went all out this year."

Beside him, Danny nodded his head slowly and said, "Well, I guess the mayor's office is loving us this year."

At that moment, the mayor himself walked over and clapped Mac affectionately on the back. "Taylor!" the mayor greeted.

Mac shook the mayor's hand, "Good evening, Mr. Mayor."

The mayor chuckled. "I've been hearing good things about that team of yours. Makes me want to meet them. Are they here?"

Mac nodded and gestured behind him. "Mr. Mayor, these are the members of my team at the NYPD Crime Lab."

Keeping his arm firmly encircled around Stella's slim waist, he continued, "These are Detectives Stella Bonasera, Danny Messer, Lindsay Monroe and Sheldon Hawkes." He motioned to Cassie, "And this is Cassie Simmons, our new Trace Lab Analyst from Boston." Handshakes were once again exchanged throughout the introductions. He continued, "And I'm sure you already know Don Flack Jr. He's with the NYPD."

Flack stepped forward and said, "Good evening, Mr. Mayor."

The mayor shook his hand and jovially said, "Good evening, Flack." He noticed Jordan and asked, "And who is this lovely young woman, Flack? Your date for the evening?"

Flack nodded, "Yes. She's also my partner, Jordan Addison. She used to be from LAPD." Jordan warmly shook the mayor's hand and said politely, "How do you do, Mr. Mayor?"

"LAPD huh? Welcome to the city, Detective Addison," the mayor replied with equal warmth. "I trust that our city has been good to you."

Blushing slightly as the smiled at Don, Jordan replied, "It certainly has, Mr. Mayor."

The mayor glanced significantly in Flack's direction and chuckled. "Well, then. That's good to know."

He turned back to Mac. "I really wanted to be able to meet your team, given all the high profile cases that you guys have had the past year, with Henry Darius and the Tanglewood boys, that Central African diamond smuggler and of course, Shane Casey."

Beside her, Lindsay felt Danny tense at the mention of all the things that had happened to the team in the past year. Aside from the Henry Darius case, all of the others were cases wherein Danny had played a big part.

As though sensing his sudden disquiet, Lindsay subtly leaned closer to him and squeezed his waist gently. At her touch, his ghosts fled and he relaxed. He smiled softly down at her and tightened his arm around her shoulders, reassured by her presence at his side.

Danny took the time to study her as she stood beside him. In the beautiful dress that she was wearing tonight, Lindsay was glowing. But Danny knew that he would say the same thing even if she was dressed in a pair of his sweats and his old academy shirts.

No, he decided. Lindsay was beautiful not because of what she wore, but because of who she was: a smart, caring woman who deserved his trust and respect and love.

He thought back to all the times she had stood by him when his world had crashed around him: first with being suspended during the heat of that case with the body in the Giants' Stadium, through the worst moments of Louie being in the hospital, through Aiden's death, to Flack's near-death experience last May and all other horrendous experiences in between.

Yes, Lindsay Monroe was a woman for keeps and he wanted her in his life forever.

Danny stood stock still for a moment, letting that new knowledge settle in his mind. There was no need to let it settle into his heart. He had known that from the moment he sped out of the surveillance van outside an apartment building, in a desperate race to reach the room where Lindsay held at gunpoint by a man with a greed for diamonds.

He suddenly remembered Stella's comment from that afternoon. _You guys sound like a married couple._

He realized how good it felt to know that people identified him and Lindsay as one unit now, and to know that even after only two weeks of dating, they had settled into a sync that made them seem like they were married.

_Me and Montana, married. _Danny thought to himself. He turned the name over and over in his head._ Lindsay Monroe Messer... Lindsay Messer... Detective Lindsay Messer... Mrs. Lindsay Messer... Mrs. Danny Messer... I like the sound of that._ He gazed down once again at Lindsay's smiling face and warm chocolate eyes and felt himself melt.

He chuckled to himself. _You're a goner, Messer. This woman's got you whipped._

Right then and there, Danny made a decision that he knew would change his life forever.

* * *

The evening passed by quite enjoyably for the rest of the team. The buffet spread was top notch and there was an open bar, which they took advantage off shamelessly. 

Later that evening, most of the higher-ups had already gone home. The people left were mostly the younger policemen and CSIs.

The three younger couples were clustered around a small table, while Mac and Stella were dancing to a slow song.

Lindsay, Cassie and Jordan were whispering to each other furiously, emitting a small giggle every once in a while.

"Awww… Look at them," Cassie said, a dreamy smile on her face.

"They do look good together," Jordan commented, tilting her head in consideration.

Lindsay was grinning to herself. First, she wins that bet with Danny and now, Stella and Mac were slow dancing. _Damn, this is one of those days when I can't be wrong, _she thought, smiling in satisfaction.

Meanwhile, Hawkes had noticed three NYPD cops their age who had been trying unsuccessfully to be discreet about stealing glances at the three women. Hawkes had to admit, the way they were standing together, in the muted yellow light of the ballroom, it made a pretty picture.

Hawkes cleared his throat and glanced significantly at his friends. "Guys," Hawkes whispered out of the corner of his mouth.

Danny and Flack had been watching the girls with indulgent smiles on their faces, so they didn't hear Hawkes.

"Guys!" Hawkes whispered again, more urgently this time, making Danny and Flack's heads whip around to look at him.

"What's wrong, Hawkes?" Danny asked, squinting at his friend in concern.

Hawkes titled his head slightly in the direction of the three guys who had been staring at their girlfriends for the past few minutes. "They've been eyeing the girls for quite some time now," Hawkes explained, a slight smile on his face.

Flack swore under his breath. "They must be from another shift. Practically everyone in the station knows that Jordan and I are together."

Danny's mouth twisted into a crooked smile. He waved his hand dismissively, "Nah. The girls won't let them try anything, especially not my Montana." His eyes brightened. "Although it would be fun to see them try."

Hawkes and Flack chuckled beside him. "Okay, so let's wait and see where they're going with this," Danny countered.

They stood casually off to the side and pretended to talk about nonsensical things like sports while the three cops kept sliding surreptitious glances towards Lindsay, Jordan and Cassie, who were too wrapped up in analyzing Mac and Stella to notice.

Suddenly, the three cops gathered their courage and walked purposefully towards the three beautiful women.

Flack muttered, "Incoming," making the two other men shift slightly so that they could see what was happening.

Lindsay, Cassie and Jordan suddenly felt the presence of three men behind them. Mistakenly assuming that Danny, Hawkes and Flack had come to join them, all three turned with inviting smiles on their faces.

They were startled to find three unfamiliar men in tuxes grinning shyly at them.

One of them held out his hand and said, "May we have this dance, ladies?"

The three women glanced at each other. They spoke simultaneously, with gracious smiles on their faces. "We're with them," pointing behind the three guys.

The three guys turned around to find Danny Messer, Sheldon Hawkes and Don Flack Jr. grinning at them, with slightly predatory gleams in their eyes.

The three cops quickly backed off, not wanting any trouble. "Sorry," one of the men said charmingly. "Didn't see the 'sold' signs."

it reminded Flack of what the blonde at Sullivan's said a few weeks ago. He grinned humorously at the three cops and mimicked what Jordan said to the blonde. "Maybe you should look harder the next time."

With that, Danny, Flack and Hawkes whisked the women away to the dance floor.

* * *

That's all I got for the NYPD Christmas Ball. Things to look out for in the chapters to come: Danny takes Lindsay home to meet his family, Lindsay and Jordan go back to Montana for a reunion and they take Danny and Flack with them. 

I'm still thinking of a story for Hawkes and Cassie, but if you guys have any ideas about scenes that I could write for them, that would be great. :D

Please don't forget to review! I really appreciate all the reviews and it inspires me to write more. :D

Thanks and I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :D


	34. The One Where Danny Calls His Mom

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

The next morning, Lindsay woke up to the ticklish sensation of Danny running his morning stubble over the smooth skin of her shoulder. 

"Morning, Montana," he said, smiling boyishly down at her, his lips nuzzling her softly.

"Hey you," she mumbled sleepily, turning around to wedge herself deeper into his embrace.

Danny started sketching lazy patterns on Lindsay's back and said, "Montana?"

Lindsay, with her face buried in the crook of his shoulder and neck, answered with a muffled, "Hmmm?"

Danny continued, "Far as I know, you're not planning to go home this Christmas, right?"

Lindsay didn't answer. She was still in the wonderful place between sleep and complete wakefulness. That, combined with the warm cocoon she found in Danny's arms… Well, she wasn't really following the conversation really well.

Danny looked down at her and said, "Linds?" shaking her slightly to waken her.

Lindsay sighed. This must be serious. Danny never called her by her given name unless it was a serious matter. She surrendered and looked up reluctantly into his blue eyes. "What?"

Danny repeated his question. "You weren't planning to go home to Montana for Christmas, right?"

Lindsay stared at him as though he had grown a second head. "You woke me up to ask me that?"

Danny nodded, looking intently at her. "Are you?"

Lindsay sighed. "Danny, you know perfectly well that I'm not going home this Christmas. If I was, you would have found out by now, right?" she explained reasonably.

Danny relaxed and grinned at her. "Just making sure." He kissed her. "Okay, you can go back to sleep now."

This time, Lindsay did glare at him. "So after waking me to ask me a question you already knew the answer to, now, you're going to tell me to go back to sleep?"

Danny nodded, flashing a smile at her. It was the smile she loved so well, boyish and charming and cocky all at once. She felt herself weakening and her glare faded slowly.

"Fine," she grumbled. She glanced over at the clock and groaned. "Danny! It's only six-thirty AM! We don't even have to be up for another hour! There's no way I'm going to be able to fall asleep."

Danny's face broke out into another cocky grin. "Guess we'll have to find another way to keep you from getting bored, huh?" Smiling wickedly, he rolled quickly over Lindsay and pulled the covers over them, muffling her startled, but delighted shriek.

* * *

In another New York apartment, Flack and Jordan had decided to get an early start on the day. Jordan was whipping up a batch of fluffy pancakes while Flack made the only breakfast food he knew how to make: coffee. 

Soon, Jordan's kitchen was filled with the appetizing smell of coffee and pancakes. She expertly flipped the pancakes into a plate and reached into the fridge for a bottle of maple syrup before she continued to the dining room.

While waiting for the coffee to brew, Flack had set the table for two. Now, Flack grabbed the carafe of coffee and poured two steaming mugs of coffee for him and Jordan. He quickly reached for the cream and sugar and prepared her coffee the way she liked it, two creams and one sugar. He handed it to her with a flourish.

Jordan grinned at him, impressed. "Wow, you're really getting good at making coffee. Maybe next time, we're promoting you to making the eggs."

Flack chuckled and said, "I don't know if I'm ready for that."

They settled down to eat. As they polished off the pancakes, they discussed the logistics of moving in together.

"I wanted to ask you," Flack said, taking a quick gulp of his steaming coffee taken black with one sugar. "Do you want to move into my place or do you want me to move here?"

Jordan shrugged, "I don't know. My rent is cheaper but your place is much closer to work and it has great security."

Flack considered it, "But you have more stuff than I do, so moving me in here will be easier." As much as he loved Jordan, he still hated moving and he would do anything to lessen the work required for the activity.

Jordan correctly guess the direction of his thoughts and quirked her eyebrow at him, barely suppressing a smile. Flack flushed and defended himself, "What? It really would be easier to move me in here."

Jordan bit her lip and thought for a moment. Then she smirked triumphantly and said, "But your shower's much bigger than mine."

Flack didn't even hesitate. He just raised his eyebrows and said, "Y'know what? I think we should move you into my place. How soon can you pack?"

Jordan's laughter rang out through the apartment.

* * *

Later that day, while Lindsay was busy in the layout room, Danny sat in their office, his phone pressed against his ear. He waited impatiently while the phone rang. 

After a few more rings, someone picked up the phone, "Hello?"

Danny answered, "Hey, Mom," glancing nervously at the door.

"Danny!" Maria Messer exclaimed into the phone, happy to hear her youngest son's voice. Her voice soon took a stern tone, "Don't tell me you're calling to cancel for Christmas. Daniel Dominic Messer, don't you dare…"

Danny cut his mom off before she could work herself into a full-blown tirade, "Ma, no --- Ma, listen..." On the other end of the line, Maria kept talking. "Ma!" he suddenly yelled out in frustration.

Maria stopped talking, "What?"

Danny spoke hurriedly before his mother could start talking again, "I'm not calling to cancel, I'm…" He was cut off once again by his mother's grateful sigh.

"I'm actually calling to ask if I can bring someone home for Christmas dinner," Danny explained.

Maria answered, "A friend of yours? Sure! Anybody who doesn't have a home to go to at Christmas is welcome at our home, you know that Danny."

Danny cleared his throat before he spoke again, "I know that, Ma." He paused for a while, a little unsure of how he was going to say it. "I'm bringing Lindsay home for Christmas."

For a moment, Maria Messer was speechless. Danny had never brought a girl home, ever. And he had been talking about this Lindsay for the past few months. Every time he came home to have dinner with his family, he always managed to work her into the conversation.

In the beginning, Danny talked about her with slight resentment for taking over Aiden's place in the team and in his life. But Maria quickly observed the changes in his tone and manner as he unwittingly kept the family updated on their budding love story. Maria prided herself on knowing her children really well and she saw the subtle way Danny's eyes and voice softened almost with tenderness every time he mentioned his new partner. About a month ago, she sensed a new emotion mixing with the softness: frustration. This made Maria intensely curious to meet the woman who had earned herself a place in Danny's heart.

Now, Danny, as a son, was very good about keeping his mother abreast of what was going on in his life. During the last few conversations they had, Maria found out that her son and Lindsay had started seeing each other. Two weeks later, when they talked, he happened to casually mention that he and Lindsay were now living together.

Maria had no objections to the match whatsoever. She personally believed that she had never seen Danny so happy in all his life. Every time they spoke, his voice was laced with contentment and Maria couldn't be happier.

But bringing a girl home? This was a first.

Maria pulled herself together quickly and said, "Of course she's welcome here! I'm glad I finally meet this Lindsay." She teased her youngest son, "You've mentioned her so many times already it got us all really excited to know if she really exists, sweetheart."

On the other end of the line, Danny flushed. He grinned into the phone and said, "Yeah, she exists, Ma."

Maria immediately dropped her teasing tone and spoke to her son seriously, "You love her, don't you, Danny?"

Danny smiled. Whoever said that mothers knew best really knew what they were talking about. There wasn't anything he could hide from his mother. He said softly into the phone, "Yeah, I do."

He hesitated before adding, "Ma, I think this is it."

Maria closed her eyes and sent a prayer of thanks heavenward. "Well, then, you bring her right over this Christmas so we can meet her."

Danny smiled affectionately into the phone, "Alright, so we'll see you then. Tell Dad I called. Thanks. Love you too. Bye."

* * *

Coming soon: Danny tells Lindsay about Christmas dinner, dinner with the Messers, Flack takes Jordan home for Christmas. 

What did you think of this one? It's one of the shortest chapters, but I couldn't sleep without writing a new chapter in the lives of our favorite detectives.


	35. The One With Flack's Mom

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

After getting off the phone with his mother, Danny headed to the layout room to see how Lindsay was doing with her evidence.

When he got there, she was frowning intently at a torn piece of cloth. Danny walked over to stand beside her, "How's your case going, Montana?"

Lindsay looked up from the cloth and gave him a tired smile. "Not good. I've been at this for hours. I know what the cloth is made of. It's just a generic fabric that is used everywhere and can be bought anywhere. I can't seem to identify what the pattern is. I went through every piece of evidence we had and it was a bust and this is my last one," she finished, sighing.

Concerned about the weary tone in her voice, Danny wrapped his arms around her and gave her a quick hug. "Don't worry, Linds. I'm sure you'll find something soon." Dropping a kiss on her temple, he reached for the small piece of cloth in her hand. "Let me see if I can help you with that."

He peered at it intently for a moment. The pattern was familiar, he had seen it before. He closed his eyes and let his mind go blank, searching for an answer. Then it came to him.

"This is from a school uniform," Danny told Lindsay.

Lindsay quirked her eyebrows, "You have a school in mind?"

Danny answered, "Yeah. It's St. John's. It's a prep school."

Lindsay asked hopefully, "You sure?"

Danny nodded, "Positive. I should know. My sister studied there."

Lindsay smiled at him, her face brightening. "You have a sister?"

Danny grinned back at her. "Yeah, my baby sister, Mia. She's a teacher."

Lindsay looked at him, curiosity evident in her eyes, "Really? What does she teach?"

Danny replied, pride oozing from his expression, "High school history."

Lindsay shook her head, smiling slightly. "Another new thing I learned about your family."

Danny saw the golden opportunity and seized it. "You really interested in getting to know my family?"

Lindsay answered his question, "Of course, Danny. They're a part of your life and I want to know what they're like."

Danny grinned at her. "That's a good thing, cause you're gonna get to know them real soon."

Lindsay looked back at him, slightly confused, "What?"

Danny explained, "Well, see, I kinda wanted to invite you to come home with me and spend Christmas with my family."

Lindsay smiled at him, "Really?"

Danny replied, "Yep."

She smiled at him once again and nodded, "Okay." She kissed his lips gently. "You sure it's okay with your parents? I mean, I might be intruding on a family gathering."

Danny grinned at her. "Nah, my mom's been dying to meet you. According to her, I talk about you so much and she's not even sure if you really exist."

Ribbons of pleasure were winding their way around Lindsay's heart and making her grin back at him. "You've told your family about me?"

Danny nodded wryly. "Too many times, apparently."

Lindsay laughed and hugged her arms around his waist tightly. "I guess you've got yourself a date, cowboy."

* * *

Later that night, Flack's mother called him.

Theresa Flack had called to remind her one and only son that he was expected at the family's Christmas dinner.

"Donnie, you've been so busy lately, we don't even know what's going on with you right now," Tess complained, making her oldest child grin.

"Don't worry, Mom. I'm coming home for Christmas. I'm on call though, so I can't promise that I'll be there the whole time," Flack reassured his mother.

Tess sighed, "I guess it's better than nothing. But don't get me wrong, honey, I understand. Your Da was pretty much the same way. Always on call on the holidays until he retired."

She quickly changed the subject. "So how are you doing, Donnie? We haven't talked in a while. Have you met any nice girls?" she inquired innocently. She had yet to give up on the hope that her handsome son would meet that special woman who would make him settle down.

On the other end of the line, Flack was immensely grateful that his mother couldn't see him blush. "I guess you could say that, Mom." He didn't elaborate because if he knew his mom, she would ask.

And ask she did, after gasping in delight. "Really? That's great, Donnie! Where did you meet her? What's her name? What does she do? How old is she? Am I meeting her soon?"

Flack had to laugh at the barrage of questions that his mother rattled off. "Slow down, Mom. One question at a time."

Tess took a deep breath, unable to keep the happy grin out of her voice, "Okay, so what's her name?"

"Her name's Jordan Addison. She's actually my new partner," Flack answered. "Well, not so new anymore," he amended. "We started seeing each other after she moved here from LA."

Tess asked, "So how long have you been seeing her?"

"About a month, I guess."

"What's she like?"

"You'll like her, Mom," he promised. "She's nice and smart and really pretty. I'm sure she'd get along with you and the brats."

Tess zeroed in on her son's answer. For one thing, Donnie never really talked much about the women he dated, beyond their names and occupations. But this time, there was something different in the way her son talked about this woman. "Donnie. Answer me straight. Is this getting serious?"

Flack was quiet for a moment while he debated on how to answer his mother's question. He decided for flat-out honesty. "I guess so, Mom. We've been seeing each other for a while now and a few days ago, I asked her to move in with me and she said yes, so we're moving in together after Christmas."

Tess gasped. Well, _this_ was new. "So soon, honey?"

Flack said gently, "I know it's a little sudden, but things are really going great with us and it feels…" he faltered for words. "Right, I guess. I really care about Jordan, mom."

Tess was still hesitant to give her full support of her son's plans. "Are you sure, Donnie?"

Flack replied without hesitations. "I'm sure, Mom." He took a deep breath before adding, "I love her."

Tess suddenly felt teary-eyed. _I think I'm going to be a grandma soon._ She took a deep breath and said, "Then I'm happy for you, Donnie. I'm sure she's a very special young woman to catch your eye."

Flack answered in a soft, tender voice. "She really is, Mom. In fact, I kinda wanted to bring her home for Christmas so that you can meet her. Is that okay with you?"

Tess gasped again. "Oh my god, Donnie. You're bringing her home to meet me? Oh, dear lord, you really are serious about this woman. Of course you can bring her home with you!"

Flack chuckled at his mother's enthusiasm. _I have a feeling I'll be hearing more about grandchildren soon._ "Alright, Mom. I'll tell her. I'll see you on Christmas Eve, okay? I love you."

He disconnected the call and lay back on the bed, waiting for Jordan to come out of the shower.

He heard the water turn off and a minute later, Jordan emerged from the bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel, her face flushed and damp from the shower.

Flack grinned at her and said, "Nice outfit. I think I'd like to see you in that more often."

Jordan stuck her tongue out playfully at him and rummaged in his closet for something to wear. She found one of his white shirts and put it on, climbing into bed beside him.

Flack held out his arms and she slid into them willingly, resting her head on his chest and sighing contentedly.

Flack ran his fingers through her hair and asked, "You have any plans for Christmas Eve?"

Jordan mumbled sleepily, "Nope. Why?"

Flack answered, "Well, I was hoping you could come home with me for Christmas dinner."

Jordan's head shot up and she said, "What?" She couldn't keep the surprise out of her voice.

Flack repeated, "Would you like to come home with me for Christmas?"

Jordan asked, "But isn't that a family thing?"

Flack shrugged slightly, reaching for her hand so he could lace their fingers together. "Yeah. That's kinda why I wanted you to come, so you could meet them." He squeezed her hand gently. "I told my mom about you today."

Jordan asked, "Your mom only found out about me today?"

Flack winced. _That didn't sound too good._ "Yeah, I haven't had a chance to call her lately. Plus, I don't really talk to her about stuff like that. Actually, she was kinda taken by surprise because I wanted to bring someone home for Christmas."

Jordan squinted at him, "What does she know about us?"

Flack answered cautiously. "She knows we've been together for about a month. She knows we're moving in together. She knows that I love you," he finished, gazing down at her face.

She was still quiet. He decided to ask her again, "What do you say? Can you come spend Christmas with me and my family?"

He smiled at her and she felt herself soften. She smiled back at him. "Okay," she kissed him and rested her head comfortably against his chest.

Flack sighed in relief. "Thanks. I was scared that you wouldn't want to."

This made Jordan look back at him. "Why wouldn't I want to?"

Flack shrugged again. "I don't know, maybe you'd think we're moving too fast?"

Jordan sighed. She knew Don was smart, but he did have his obtuse moments. "Don, we've been together for a month and I'm moving in with you. What's faster than that?"

Flack had to concede. "Okay, so I guess we're on track."

She grinned at him, "You think your mom will like me."

Flack grinned back at her, "I told her she would. You're actually a lot like her."

Jordan smiled happily at him. "So, meeting the parents, huh? Big thing for us."

Flack nodded thoughtfully. "Uh-huh. Never really got to this point with any other woman before."

Jordan's grin widened at his words. "You've never brought anybody home to meet your parents?"

Flack shook his head. "Nope. Never got to that point."

Jordan quipped, "I must be really special then."

Flack pressed a kiss on her lips and whispered, "You sure are, Jordan Addison."

* * *

Please read and review. :D I'm still thinking of a scenario with Hawkes and Cassie and Mac and Stella, and how they can end up spending the Christmas together. I think there will be a New Year's party though, at Stella's, so wait for that. :D

I hope you enjoyed this one, so please read and review. :D Thanks to all those who have read and reviewed the story. :D


	36. The One Where They Go Christmas Shopping

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

Bloomingdale's was a hubbub of activity any day of the year. But during the Christmas season, it always turns into a madhouse. People were scrambling from one end to the other, hurriedly finishing their Christmas shopping, and even those who were smart enough to go shopping early always forgot someone on the list, and invariably ended up fighting his or her way through the throng of busy shoppers.

Unlike those other people, Danny Messer had planned in advance. Way back in the middle of November, he had already bought gifts for everyone on his list. He had learned this lesson the hard way a few years ago, when he had procrastinated until the last minute to get gifts for his family. The day he planned to go shopping, he got called in on a triple homicide and had ended up pulling a triple shift, showing up at his parents' house empty handed.

Since then, he always started shopping little by little, making his list by mid-October and working his way through it, usually finishing by the first week of December.

Last Christmas, a new name had been added to his Christmas list: Lindsay Monroe. He remembered spending hours wandering through various malls finding a gift appropriate for her, which annoyed the hell out of him. For his entire family, and Stella, Mac, Flack, Hawkes, Adam, even Sid, gift shopping was usually easy. But for some reason, none of the things he saw in the malls seemed special enough to give to his new partner.

He didn't really want to look too deeply into the reason why he was intent on finding the perfect gift for Lindsay. He just doggedly went around the malls, with one thought in his head. _It has to be perfect for her._

He had never found that special thing for Lindsay. Danny now understood that the reason was because everything that was special enough to give Lindsay for Christmas was something that would come from a boyfriend, or at the very least, a really close friend, not the co-worker who stubbornly insists on annoying you to no end.

But that was last year. This year, Danny no longer occupied the post of 'pesky co-worker' in Lindsay's life. He was now her boyfriend and it pleased the hell out of him that he could finally give Lindsay all the things he wanted to give her.

So that blustery morning, on his day off, while Lindsay was on duty at the lab, Danny was standing in front of a store counter, impatiently waiting for the woman to come out of the back room with the present he ordered for Lindsay several weeks ago.

He had seen it in mid-November and he immediately had one thought. _This is it. This is the gift I'm going to get her this Christmas._ Never mind that when he found it, he and Lindsay weren't together yet. He was certain that since the previous holiday season, his status in Lindsay's life had changed and he was more than just a co-worker. He was damned well going to give her whatever he felt like giving.

The woman came out, handing Danny a small box, with a courteous smile. Danny opened the box and took a cursory glance, inspecting the item nestled inside, his face breaking out into a wide smile.

He looked up at the saleslady and said with a handsome grin, "It's perfect. Thank you."

Humming a Christmas carol beneath his breath, Danny headed towards the counter to pay for the gift. Within a few minutes, he was casually strolling through the mad throng of people, out of the mall, carrying a small bag.

It was now time to put phase two of his plan in action.

* * *

Later that day, Lindsay received a surprising call.

She had been in the layout room, trying to recreate the crime scene using the photos she had taken earlier that morning, when her phone rang.

The caller ID read Flack. _Must be a new lead. _Lindsay flipped the phone open and said, "What's up, Flack?"

From the other end of the line, Flack's voice carried through loud and clear. "Hey Lindsay, are you alone right now?"

Lindsay answered, slightly confused. "Yeah, why?"

Flack asked again, "Danny's not there?"

Lindsay laughed and said, "It's his day off, so he's not here. What's up?"

Flack's sigh of relief was audible. "Good, cause I wanted to talk to you without him nosing around."

Lindsay was intrigued. "Why? Are you planning to prank him again?"

Flack snorted, "Hardly. If I wanted to prank Messer, I'd get him on my own, not enlist his girlfriend, who may very well sell me out."

Lindsay replied, "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"I need help with something."

Lindsay patiently answered, "I think we've kinda established that, Flack. What do you need help with?"

Flack asked, "Are you free today?"

Lindsay said, "I'm not doing anything for lunch. Why?"

Flack muttered into the phone. "I need help shopping."

Lindsay laughed at his tone. "Shopping? For Christmas gifts?"

Flack answered, "Yeah. I still have no idea what to get Jordan."

Lindsay laughed again. "I see. Well, like I said, I'm free for lunch. Want to go shopping then?" she offered.

Flack said gratefully, "Yeah, that'd be great. I'll pick you up there at 11:30, is that okay?"

Lindsay answered, "Mm-hmm. That sounds okay."

Flack added, "Don't tell Danny, okay? He'll never let me live it down, with him and his stupid shop early policy," he grumbled.

Lindsay chuckled at his surly tone. "I have to, Flack. He might come looking for me here and then everyone would find out."

Flack sighed again, defeated. "Guess you're right. I'll see you then. Thanks again, Linds."

"No problem, Flack," she answered and disconnected the call, immediately hitting her speed dial.

Within minutes the phone was picked up and a familiar drawl came through the line, "Hey, Montana."

"Hey yourself," Lindsay answered. "What are you up to?"

Danny answered noncommittally, "Nothing much, just picking up here at home."

Lindsay was impressed, "You're cleaning?"

Danny said defensively, "Hey, just cause I'm a guy doesn't mean I like living like a slob."

Lindsay laughed and said, "Damn, I lucked out, moving in with you."

Danny chuckled and asked, "How's your case going?"

Lindsay replied, "It's going okay, I guess. I got a hit off a fingerprint we collected at the scene." She quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, I called cause Flack asked me to go shopping with him during lunch. He still doesn't have a gift for Jordan."

Danny responded, "Okay. At least if you're with Flack, I know you're safe. Be careful okay? The malls are crazy during this time of the year."

Lindsay answered, smiling into the phone, "I will, Danny. Make sure you eat okay?"

Danny replied, "You too, Montana. I love you."

Lindsay smiled and said, "I love you too, Danny."

* * *

At precisely 11:30, Flack pulled up outside the lab. He unlocked the doors and Lindsay slid in, shivering slightly from the crisp New York air.

"Hey," she greeted him, taking off her gloves and hat.

"Hey, Linds. Thanks for agreeing to go shopping with me," Flack said gratefully.

Lindsay waved her hand casually and said, "No worries. Let's head to Bloomie's?"

Flack nodded. "Sure." He smoothly maneuvered his car through the traffic.

Lindsay asked, "So how'd you manage to ditch Jordan?"

Flack grinned and said, "I told her I had to go give a deposition at the court house for an old case."

Lindsay smirked and said, "How original."

Flack flushed as he answered, "What? I couldn't think of a better excuse."

Lindsay just laughed at him and said, "Whatever works, I guess." She changed the topic to the matter at hand. "So do you have any ideas on what to give her?"

Flack groaned and said, "No. Nothing. Nada. Zip. Zilch. I have absolutely no idea what to get her."

Lindsay shot him a glare and said, "Flack she's your girlfriend. You don't even have an inkling of what would be a good gift for her?"

Flack glanced at Lindsay and said, "I am so screwed, aren't I?"

Lindsay nodded in the affirmative and said, "That you are, my friend." She reached across the car to pat Flack's shoulder. "But don't worry. I'll help you."

She was rewarded by a grateful smile. Lindsay warned, "But don't think I'm not going to collect."

Flack snorted and said, "You've been hanging out way too much with Danny."

Lindsay glared at him again and said, "Do you want my help or not?"

He backed down gracefully and said, "Like I said, I owe you one."

Satisfied with his meek answer, Lindsay started talking. "Okay, let's go through the usual gifts. Perfume?"

Flack smiled to himself and said, "She doesn't need it."

"Flowers?"

"Not special enough."

"Jewelry?" Lindsay tried hopefully.

Flack shot her a glance and said, "Too special."

"Damn," Lindsay said under her breath. "I was hoping to get away with that one."

Flack just laughed at her.

"Sweater?"

"Too impersonal."

"Book?"

"Too boring."

Lindsay shot him an exasperated look. "Picky much, aren't you?"

Flack looked helplessly at her, "I'm sorry. I just want to give her something nice. I mean, if it was Danny, would you be satisfied, just getting him a regular gift?"

Lindsay had to concede that point to Flack. "I guess you're right." She asked him, "Why did you wait until this late to get her a gift?"

Flack was starting to look frazzled, "Actually, I've been looking for the past three weeks, but I can't seem to find anything."

Lindsay looked at him in disbelief, "You've only been looking for three weeks?"

Flack shot her a look, "We've only been together a month, Monroe."

She shrugged. "Good point."

Suddenly Flack had a flash of inspiration. "Why don't I give her lingerie?"

Lindsay smirked at Flack and said, "Is this gift for her or for you?"

Flack blushed under Lindsay's knowing gaze. He quickly retorted, "I guess Danny's gift was meant for himself then."

She socked him playfully on the shoulder.

"Seriously though," Flack continued. "She hasn't mentioned _anything _to you at all? Anything she wanted to buy for herself?"

Lindsay thought for a long moment. _There's something, I just can't remember what. _She tried to recall what item it was that Jordan was drooling over that day the girls went shopping. She snapped her fingers and said, "I know! There was this pair of shoes that she really wanted to buy. She saw it when we went out shopping."

Flack asked, "If she wanted it so much, then why didn't she get it?"

Lindsay explained, "She said it was way out of budget, one of those indulgences that take a long time to save up for. She really wanted to buy it though."

Flack grinned. "Perfect." He steered the car into a parking space and killed the engine. "Lead the way, Monroe."

They got out of the car and joined the throng of people inside the malls. Flack had to grab the back of Lindsay's coat just to make sure they didn't get separated.

Soon, she led him to an upscale store, where thankfully, there were less people. Lindsay looked around quickly and zeroed in on a pair of shoes. "There," she pointed, grabbing Flack's arm and dragging him over.

It was a simple pair of black high heeled boots made out of soft, luxurious leather. The attraction of the shoe was not so much in the design, but in the comfort offered by the material. It was soft, plush and utterly comfortable. It was perfect for Jordan, who liked simple, casual styles.

The saleslady said politely, "That's our last pair, ma'am."

Excitedly, Lindsay whispered to Flack, "It's in Jordan's size."

Flack said to the lady decisively, "We'll take it."

The woman hurried to ring up their purchases. When Flack signed the charge slip, Lindsay was surprised. He didn't even bat an eyelash. _Wow, he must _really_ like her. _Common to all simple yet wonderfully comfortable shoes, the pair they bought was also wonderfully expensive.

They exited the mall less than fifteen minutes later, with Flack carrying a paper bag discreetly bearing the logo of the store. They stashed it in the back seat and headed back to the lab, where he dropped Lindsay off.

As Lindsay alighted from the car, Flack called out, "Thanks again, Linds."

Grinning at him, "No problem, Flack. Remember…"

Flack finished for her, "Yeah yeah yeah, I owe you one, Monroe."

She smirked at him and waved as she entered the building.

* * *

Lindsay entered the break room just as Hawkes and Cassie were finishing their lunch.

"Hey," Cassie greeted. "Where'd you come from?"

Lindsay grinned at her friend and said, "I just got back from the mall. Flack needed help finding a gift for Jordan."

Hawkes asked, "So what did he get her?"

Lindsay answered, "Cassie, do you remember when we went shopping for our dresses? That pair of boots that Jordan really wanted to buy?"

"Uh-huh," Cassie answered, taking a sip of her soda. Then her eyes widened and she looked up at Lindsay in excitement, "No way!"

Lindsay started nodding vigorously, "Uh-huh."

Cassie said in disbelief, "He did not!"

Lindsay nodded her head firmly and said, "He did too."

"Damn!" Cassie breathed. "Those boots were gorgeous."

Lindsay grinned and said, "I know. I was the one who came up with the idea." She checked her phone and said, "I have to go you guys. Adam has results for me already." She waved good-bye to the couple and exited the break room.

After Lindsay left, Hawkes turned to Cassie and said, "So how special were these boots?"

Cassie smirked and said, "Special enough to tell me that Flack's going to get a _lot _of lovin' this Christmas." She waggled her eyebrows significantly.

Hawkes grinned at her and said, "That good huh?"

Cassie nodded in the affirmative. "Uh-huh."

Hawkes teased, "So where can I get you a pair of these boots?"

Cassie shot him a mock glare and propped her hands on her hips. "You complainin' about the lovin' you get, Doc?"

Hawkes laughed and grabbed Cassie, wrapping her in his arms before giving her a deep kiss. "Nope. Not at all."

Cassie's contented laughter rang out through the break room.

* * *

Stick around to find out what the couples are getting each other for Christmas. :D How did you like this one? I'm going to be drawing out the Christmas season for all of them.

Also, find out how Hawkes and Cassie spend Christmas. What did you think of this one? Please review as soon as you can:D I wait eagerly for your reviews. :D


	37. The One With Danny's Surprise

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

After a long day at the lab, Lindsay unlocked the door to the apartment she shared with Danny. She pushed it open but it wouldn't budge. Frowning, she gripped the knob more tightly in her hand and pushed harder. It still refused to open. 

Growing more worried by the minute, she started knocking loudly on the door. "Danny?" she called out.

No answer.

She knocked on the door again, yelling a little louder this time. "Danny!"

Suddenly, the door opened and Danny stepped out. "Montana! You're home!" he said, quickly kissing her cheek and smiling excitedly at her.

"Danny! You scared the hell out of me!" Lindsay said, feeling her heart settle at a normal rate. "What's with our door?"

Danny waved his hand. "Oh, it's nothing. I just jammed it a bit to make sure you can't go in without me."

Lindsay was growing more confused by the minute. "What?"

Danny grinned at her and held up a small length of cloth. "Close your eyes, Montana."

Lindsay eyed him suspiciously. "Why? What's going on?"

Danny insisted, "Just close your eyes." He smiled at her and said, "Please?"

Lindsay found herself relenting with his pleading gaze. "Alright," she grumbled. "But this better be a good surprise, Messer," she warned.

Danny grinned to himself and said to her, "It is. Now close your eyes."

After Lindsay obediently closed her eyes, Danny used the cloth to blindfold her. She could hear him pushing the door of the apartment open and he guided her inside.

He positioned her about five feet inside the door and told her to wait. She patiently stood there and listened to him move around the apartment, and she giggled as she heard a small "oof" when he accidentally tripped over something. She sniffed and encountered something that smelled like cinnamon in the air.

Then she felt him stand beside her again and remove the blindfold, saying as he did so, "I'm taking this off now, but don't open your eyes unless I say so, okay?"

Only when she agreed did he remove the blindfold from her eyes.

Moving behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, Danny whispered softly in her ear, "Okay, Montana. You can open your eyes now."

Slowly, Lindsay lifted her lids and gasped at the sight before her.

She suddenly recalled a conversation they had a few days ago while they were having breakfast.

_Lindsay looked around the apartment in displeasure. "I can't believe we were too busy to decorate for Christmas."_

_Danny looked up and agreed with her. "I know, but it's been a really busy month, plus we just moved you in here. We can still set-up the tree," he offered._

_Lindsay sighed, "I guess so. But there's only a few days left of the holidays."_

_Danny walked over kneeled down beside her chair, pulling her head down for a quick kiss. "It's okay, Linds. We'll find time to set it up before Christmas."_

_Lindsay smiled and bent down to kiss his lips softly._

Lindsay was surprised to find that Danny had decorated the entire apartment for Christmas. A big tree stood in one corner of the room, next to their window that offered a pleasant view of the snow covered city. The tree was brightly strung with twinkling lights and different colored balls and various bits of Christmas décor.

She scanned the rest of the room delightedly. More lights were hung around the apartment, blinking cheerily and twined among garlands of Christmas greenery. Special red and green throw pillows were scattered on the couch and a fire blazed brightly in the rarely used fireplace. On the mantel, two stockings hung side by side. One said, "Danny" while the other bore the name "Montana". Next to the window, Danny had set up a small table draped with festive red cloth where a small pot of cider rested, along with two steaming mugs. The smell of cinnamon rose with the steam that curled invitingly above the two mugs. Next to that, was a plate of freshly baked oatmeal cookies, without raisins, just the way Lindsay liked it.

She twisted in his embrace to face him, throwing her arms around his neck, exclaiming, "You did all this?"

Danny laughed and said, "Well, you looked so sad the other day when you realized we hadn't decorated for Christmas that I couldn't stand it, so," he gestured around the room. He smiled tenderly at her and said, "Merry Christmas, Montana."

Lindsay's eyes blurred with unexpected tears at the sweetness of his gesture. It must have taken him the whole day to do this. She hugged him tightly and said, "You are the sweetest boyfriend in the whole wide world, Danny Messer." She pulled his head down for a kiss and said, "Thank you. This is the best Christmas ever."

Danny grinned at the childlike happiness reflected in her eyes and said, "Anything for you, Linds." He let go of her long enough to reach for her hand and drag her over to the window, handing her a warm mug of cider.

She accepted the mug gratefully and wrapped her hands around it, savoring the warmth and taking a sip. "This is really good. Did you make this?"

Danny nodded, "Uh-huh. Old family recipe."

Lindsay leaned forward to grab a cookie and took a bite. Her eyes widened as she munched on the cookie. "Wow. This is the best cookie I've ever tried. Did you make this as well?"

Danny flushed a little but he nodded his head. "Another old Messer recipe." He ruefully remembered the conversation he had with his mother when he had called her to ask for the recipe.

"_You busy, Ma?" Danny asked over the phone._

_Maria replied, "Not really, honey. Why?"_

_Danny hesitated before taking the plunge, "In that old recipe you had for making oatmeal cookies, what was that ingredient you added that made it taste really, really good?"_

_Maria asked suspiciously, "Why?"_

_Danny groaned inwardly. There was no getting out of it. He was going to have to explain to his mother. "I'm making cookies for Lindsay. She loves oatmeal."_

_In the Messers' Staten Island home, Maria's eyes widened. Danny was cooking? "You're making her cookies from a family recipe?"_

"_Yeah, Ma," Danny answered, eternally grateful that they were having this conversation over the phone and his mother couldn't see the red climbing into his cheeks._

_At that moment, Maria Messer knew that Lindsay Monroe was going to be her new daughter-in-law. There was no way her son would be taking the time and effort to cook if this woman wasn't special. The fact that Danny enjoyed being in the kitchen and was an amazing cook was a well-kept secret, known only to his family. There was also the fact that if he had chosen to cook for a woman, he _definitely_ would not be using an old family recipe for just any woman. No, her son was head over heels crazy in love with Lindsay._

"_Ma?" Danny asked, "You still there?"_

_Maria was shaken out of her reverie and she answered, "Yeah, honey. I'm still here." Then she proceeded to tell Danny exactly how to make the cookies the way she always did._

_When she finished, Danny said, "Thanks, Ma. You're the best."_

_Maria answered affectionately, "You let me know how those cookies turn out, okay? I love you, Danny."_

"_Love you too, Ma," Danny replied, promising not to be late for Christmas dinner before hanging up the phone._

Danny grinned at the blissful expression on Lindsay's face and asked, "That good?"

Lindsay nodded vigorously and Danny had to laugh at her enthusiasm. When she finished the cookie, she immediately reached for another.

Danny laughed again and pulled her to stand next to the fireplace.

"I was thinking, since we're spending Christmas with my family, maybe we could celebrate Christmas a little early, just the two of us," Danny suggested, a boyish smile curling his lips.

Lindsay smiled back at him and said, "I'd like that."

"So can I give you your Christmas present now?" Danny asked eagerly.

Lindsay looked back at him in amazement. "You mean this isn't my present?"

Danny shook his head. "Nope." He nodded significantly towards the stockings that hung on the fireplace.

Lindsay laughed softly and took a step closer to him, sliding her slim arms around his waist. "You really are amazing, aren't you?"

Danny flashed a cocky grin at her and said, "I try my best."

Lindsay chuckled and said, "Let's see what you got for me." She reached inside the stocking and her hand encountered something flat and hard. She pulled it out to reveal a flat, velvet jeweler's case.

The case discreetly bore the name of a famous jewelry store. She looked uncertainly at Danny and who nodded at her, encouraging her to open it.

She lifted the lid. Inside, nestled amid the plush blue velvet was a white gold necklace that formed the word 'Montana'. It was simple and delicate, perfect for Lindsay.

She looked up at Danny in wonder. "It's beautiful."

Danny looked at her still slightly uncertain. "You really like it?"

Lindsay nodded and smiled at him, "I love it, Danny. It's perfect." She gently lifted it out of the case and said, "Put it on me?"

Danny obliged and took the necklace from her. She turned around and lifted her brown curls while he fastened it around her neck. She turned around to face him and grinned, "How does it look?"

Against the smoothness of her collarbone, the special name he gave her gleamed softly. Danny smiled in satisfaction and answered her with a soft kiss, "Looks good."

Lindsay said, "Time for your present." She hurried into the room and came out with a large flat box, wrapped in brightly colored paper.

Danny chuckled and said, "How did you manage to sneak that in here without me noticing?"

Lindsay grinned cheekily and said, "I had Flack keep it for me and sneak it into the apartment when we were both on the field."

Danny had to laugh at her sneakiness. "And where did you hide it?"

Lindsay grinned again and said, "Under the bed."

Danny laughed even harder at her lack of originality. He shook his head and started opening the present. When all the paper was gone, he was left with a long case made out of shiny wood that was varnished carefully.

Danny lifted the lid slowly. Inside the case was a worn out rosewood bat. Nestled with the bat was an old baseball card. Both the bat and the card bore the signature of a legend.

"It's the limited edition Joe DiMaggio I wanted," Danny said softly, the corners of his mouth turning up in a pleased grin. "You remembered."

Lindsay shrugged her shoulders slightly. About three weeks ago, Danny told her an amusing story about himself when he was still playing baseball. When he was seventeen, he had found a limited edition baseball bat and card signed by Joe DiMaggio that he decided to save up for. Unfortunately, by the time he had enough money, it had already been bought by someone else.

After he had told her that story, Lindsay had spent hours poring over the internet, looking for that exact same item. She researched and called various collectors of baseball memorabilia, until finally, she found what she was looking for. It had been delivered to Flack's apartment, paid for by Lindsay's credit card, just in time for Christmas.

Danny took out the bat, savoring the feel of the solid wood in his hands, underneath his fingertips. He traced his fingers almost reverently over the signature on the top half of the bat.

He replaced the bat and leaned over to give Lindsay a lingering kiss. "Thank you, Montana."

Lindsay saw how surprised and happy he was with his gift and at that moment, all the trouble of searching for the gift had been worth it. She smiled at him and said, "Anytime, Messer."

Danny grinned at her and said, "I love you."

"I love you too, Danny," she answered with a small grin of her own, settling back on the couch, her fingers toying lovingly with her new necklace.

Lindsay leaned her head back on Danny's shoulder and he rested his head on hers and they sat there, cups of cider nestled in their hands, cuddled in front or a roaring fire, snuggled against each other.

Neither could ask for a more perfect Christmas.

* * *

I hope you guys liked the gifts that they got. :D In the next few chapters, dinner with the Messers and Flacks, as well as Christmas for Hawkes and Cassie and Mac and Stella will be featured. I might stretch it out until Christmas Day itself, and I'm thinking of a New Year's party for the crew. :D 

Anybody have suggestions for a Christmas gift for Hawkes? I already thought of something for Cassie and Flack, and you already know what gifts Danny, Lindsay and Jordan got, but I don't know what to get Hawkes. Any suggestions from Hawkes' fans:D Send in your suggestions with your reviews!

Please do review. :D I look forward to your comments. :D I hope you enjoyed this one as well! Happy reading!:D


	38. The One With the Christmas Gifts

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

On the afternoon of Christmas Eve, Flack and Jordan were lazing around in bed, whiling away the time before they have to set out for Flack's parents' house. They had managed to get the entire day off, by promising to be on call for the Christmas Eve shift later that night, just so they could take a little bit of time of for the holidays. 

By now, most of Jordan's clothes were already stashed in various places in Flack's apartment. They haven't had the time to seriously move Jordan's things in, so for the meantime, she just brought over the daily necessities and consumed the month's rent by using her apartment as temporary storage.

Both of them were too lazy to emerge from the bed. It was too warm and inviting to leave, so they decided to not even try.

"See, if everyday could be like this," Jordan mused, running her fingertip over Flack's bare chest, tickling him slightly with her touch.

Flack agreed, "Yeah. All day in bed with my incredibly smart and gorgeous girlfriend, no cases to follow up, our phones turned off…"

"At least until 10 this evening," Jordan reminded him with a chuckle.

"Yeah, well, that's the only deal we could get if we were going to take the day off," Flack reasoned. "Plus, it gives us at least 3 hours to spend with my family, which should satisfy my mom."

Jordan was silent for a moment, her brow creasing slightly.

Flack sensed the slight change in her mood and asked, "Everything okay?"

Jordan shrugged slightly, "Just a little nervous about meeting your parents." She looked up, searching his eyes unconsciously for reassurance.

He planted a kiss on her temple. "Don't worry. I'm sure they'll love you."

"Really?" Jordan asked, unconvinced.

Flack nodded with absolute certainty. "Hey, if I love you then they will too. That's all they care about anyways."

Jordan propped herself up on her elbow and said, "Tell me about your family."

Flack's hand trailed up and down the smooth skin of her back. "Well, you already know my dad, so I guess telling you about the man behind the legend is a bit weird, so I'll let you get to know him on your own."

Jordan laughed softly at that comment. She knew that Don shared a really close relationship with his dad and Don Flack Sr. was the reason why he became a cop. For Don, there was no other path. Ever since he was a kid, he wanted nothing more than to be like his father and try in his own way to make the world a better place.

Flack continued, "My mom's a housewife, always have been. She always tells us that her biggest achievement is raising three kids and a husband and that's more than enough work for her." He proceeded to tell her about his sisters, Jenna, a freelance photographer, and Erin, who was finishing her taking the year off to review for the upcoming bar exam.

Throughout his entire explanation, Jordan listened quietly, occasionally laughing at some comment that he made, or nodding her head to show she understood. By the time he finished, she felt a little less apprehensive about meeting his family.

If she had to dig deeper into herself, she probably would have to admit that it was incredibly important for her that Don's family should like her. She didn't want to look that deep though.

He said once again, "Don't worry so much, honey. They'll love you."

"Alright," she conceded, grinning at him. "I'll leave that up to your expert opinion." She changed the subject quickly. "Hey, since it's the day before Christmas, I can give you your gift, right?"

Flack looked at her, a delighted smile appearing on his face. "Can I give you yours?"

When Jordan nodded, he said, "Okay." He gave her a quick kiss and pushed back the covers reluctantly. He let out a slight hiss as his bare feet made contact with the cold floor. Wearing only his boxers, he walked quickly to the closet and stuck his head inside, pulling something out from the very back.

Jordan sat up in the bed and watched as he walked back to the bed with a large box wrapped in gold foil and tied with a red and green ribbon. He had a huge grin on his face and he placed the box in her lap, slipping into the bed beside her.

"Open it," he urged.

Jordan leaned over to kiss him. "Whatever this is, thank you. I love it," she said softly.

Flack chuckled, "You don't even know what it is."

She shrugged, "Hey, if you got it for me, then I love it."

That warm feeling in his chest again. It was happening more often now, and Flack was growing accustomed to the sensation of growing warmth that took possession of his entire body and made him smile involuntarily.

Jordan started ripping through the wrapper. When she saw the insignia on the box, she gasped and her eyes shot up to meet his. With much more excitement, she tore through the wrapper and soon lifted the lid of the shoe box.

"Oh my god," she breathed. "How did you know?" She launched herself quickly into Flack's arms and kissed him deeply. She ended up curled on his lap, her arms twined around his neck.

When she pulled back, her eyes were glowing. "This is the best Christmas present ever," she said, reaching into the box to feel the soft leather of the boots.

Flack grinned at her obvious happiness with the gift and said, "I'm glad you like it."

She kissed him one more time, "See, I told you I'd love it." Then she raised her eyebrows and asked with a sassy grin, "So who told you? Lindsay, Cassie or Stella?"

Flack tried his best to look offended. "Hey! I found that gift for you by myself!"

Jordan rolled her eyes and answered, "Don, I love you, I really do, but there was no way you could have known that I wanted these boots. I never even mentioned it to you."

Flack still maintained his injured expression. "I'm your boyfriend, I can sense when you want something."

Jordan just smirked at him until he finally sighed and said, "Fine, it was Lindsay. You happy?"

Jordan laughed and nodded, "Yeah, I am. Thank you for my gift, Don. I really do love it," she said, hugging him hard.

When she pulled back, she asked, "Now can I give you my gift?"

Flack answered with a grin of his own, "Sure."

Jordan scooted quickly off his lap and reached over to the nightstand on her side of the bed. She opened the drawer and pulled out a long, flat box wrapped in red paper. She handed it to him with a flourish.

He excitedly tore through the paper and pulled open the lid of the box. He was slightly let down by the fact that all it contained was a simple, but elegant silk tie.

The tie was beautiful though, and a lot more expensive than the ones he usually wears to work. As he lifted it out of the box, an envelope fell out. He looked up quickly to see Jordan's mouth curl up affectionately.

"You didn't think all I would give you for Christmas was a tie, now did you?" she asked innocently.

A grin formed on his face as he pulled out the contents of the envelope. This time, it was his turn to be surprised and his eyes widened with delight.

He looked up at her in disbelief. "You got me season tickets for the Knicks?"

Jordan eyes peered uncertainly at him, "You don't like it?"

Flack started laughing at the absurdity of the question. "Jordan, I honestly think it's impossible for a guy to not like it when his girlfriend gives him season tickets to the Knicks."

Jordan smiled in satisfaction, "I knew you'd like it."

Just then, Flack realized something. "Wait. There are _two_ season tickets here." He glanced questioningly at Jordan.

Jordan arched her eyebrow at him. "What? You think you're the only one who gets to enjoy that? Of course I'm going with you. The other ticket is for me," she informed him smugly.

Flack gaped at her. "You like sports?"

Jordan nodded.

"You're a Knicks fan too?"

Jordan nodded again. "Why?"

Flack grinned, "I remember when I first met you I thought to myself that the fact that you were both smart and beautiful was a dangerous thing. I also thought that if you liked sports, then that's a deadly combination."

Jordan burst out laughing. She climbed back into Flack's lap and slid her arms around his neck teasingly, "You scared, Detective Flack?"

Flack shook his head adamantly, "Nope. I never run from danger," he said, wickedly pulling her head down to capture her lips. "Merry Christmas, Jordan," he whispered, just before he kissed her.

* * *

Cassie and Hawkes were celebrating their first Christmas together. Since she didn't want to go home for Christmas, and since his family had decided to take an out-of-town trip, they had decided to spend the holidays together. As they had planned, he was on his way to her apartment to have dinner. 

Hawkes was getting off the subway on his way to Cassie's when his phone chirped. Fervently praying that it wasn't Mac calling him in on a case, he reached for his phone.

He sighed in relief when he saw that the screen registered 'Cassie'. He quickly opened the text message which said _Call me when you're at my building already, before you get on the elevator._

He wondered what she was up to. Then remembering how her past surprises had ended up, he quickened his pace and grinned. _Guess I'll find out then._

When he got to her building, he obediently reached for his phone and hit the speed dial. She picked up after two rings. "Hey, Doc," she said breathlessly.

"Cass, I'm downstairs already," Hawkes answered, his curiosity piqued. _What's she up to?"_

"Awesome," she answered. "Okay, you're just in time. You can come up."

"Just in time for what?" he asked mildly, but the line had already been disconnected. Shaking his head ruefully, he thought, _My life has been a thousand times more exciting since I've been with her._

When he reached her door, he was surprised to find it slightly ajar. He pushed it open hesitantly, calling out, "Cassie?"

There was no answer.

He pushed the door open wider, his senses going on full scale alert. He relaxed slightly when he looked into the apartment and saw it lit with scented candles. Scattered rose petals formed a path leading to the bedroom door, which was closed firmly.

Hawkes shut the door behind him and called out, "Cassie? Honey? I'm on my way in." He made his way to the door and twisted the knob and was greeted by the sight of his lushly beautiful girlfriend reclining on the bed in sexy white lingerie, a bright red bow wrapped around her neck.

Hawkes eyes glazed over and he half stumbled inside the room.

At his reaction, Cassies's freshly glossed lips curved into a seductive smile and she said, "Merry Christmas, Doc."

The bedroom door slammed shut behind Hawkes as he rushed forward to claim his Christmas present.

* * *

Several glorious hours later, Hawkes opened his eyes to find Cassie gazing at him, a satisfied smile glowing on her face. 

He felt his face break into a grin in return. "Merry Christmas to you, too."

Cassie laughed and stretched luxuriantly, "So you like your Christmas gift?"

Hawkes rolled over to nibble lovingly at the fragrant skin behind her ear. "Mm-hmmm," he murmured, lost in her intoxicating scent.

Cassie let out a small sigh and pressed her back closer to his front, pulling his arm tighter around her waist. "Okay, you just keep doing that."

Hawkes chuckled and asked her, "I guess it's my turn to give you your gift." He withdrew regretfully from the warmth of the bed and reached over to the messenger bag he had discarded earlier in his haste to get to Cassie.

He withdrew a pink envelope and handed it to her.

She tore into it eagerly, pulling out a brochure. "A spa package," she squealed, throwing her arms around Hawkes' neck. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She planted kisses all over his face, pausing longer to nibble at his lips.

Hawkes smiled at her enthusiasm. "I'm glad you like it."

Cassie said, "Like it? I _love_ it!"

Hawkes smiled in satisfaction. "Good. Now come back here and show me again how much you love it," he said, growling teasingly against Cassie's neck as she shivered and whispered back, "Gladly, Doc."

* * *

That's it for tonight. Next chapters will have dinner with the Messers and the Flacks. 

Thanks to bioassy for suggesting a present for Hawkes. Muchos gracias, bioassy:D

I hope you guys enjoyed this one. :D Just a little fluff for all of us. Keep reading and reviewing:D Thanks for all your great reviews. :D

Don't forget to let me know what you think of this one. :D Thanks again:D


	39. The One Where Danny Speaks Italian

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

On Christmas Eve, Danny and Lindsay stood outside the Messer home bundled in warm clothing. Danny carried bright red box containing a scrumptious chocolate cake from a very well-hidden bakery near their apartment.

Just before he rang the bell, Danny glanced over at Lindsay, who was fidgeting nervously beside him. He asked, "You ready, Montana?"

Lindsay nodded, and he smiled at her reassuringly. He pulled her close and gave her a quick kiss. "Don't worry, everything will be okay. They'll love you." After pressing the doorbell, he reached out for her hand and linked their fingers together.

Soon enough, the door flew open and a dark-haired woman with Danny's blue eyes stood before them. "Danny!" she exclaimed, before throwing her arms around him.

"Hey, runt," Danny said affectionately, rumpling the woman's hair when they let go of each other.

"Stop calling me a runt," the woman grumbled.

Danny just laughed at her. He quickly made the introductions. "Lindsay, this is my baby sister, Maria Carmina Messer, otherwise known as 'runt'. Mia, this is my girlfriend, Lindsay Monroe."

Danny' sister smiled at her, her cocky grin identical to the ones Danny frequently had on his face. "HI, Lindsay. You can actually call me Mia. Danny just likes using my full name because he knows it annoys me," she smirked at her big brother. "Isn't that right, Daniel Dominic Messer?"

Once again, Danny just laughed at her. "No use pointing it out, Mia. Unlike you, I don't hate my name."

Mia retorted, "I don't hate my name. I just like my nickname better." She flashed a friendly grin at Lindsay and said, "Come in, Mama's in the kitchen. I'm sure she's dying to meet you."

Linking her arm with Lindsay's, Mia pulled her into the house while Danny trailed behind the two girls.

"Mama," Mia called out, as she and Lindsay entered the kitchen. "Guess who's here?"

"Danny!" Maria Messer called out, bustling over from them. The comforting smell of home-cooked spaghetti sauce clung to her as she wrapped her arms lovingly around her younger son. He returned the embrace willingly and they both let go after a minute.

Maria smiled at her son. "And who's this lovely young woman you've brought home with you?" She turned her twinkling blue eyes to Lindsay.

Danny said proudly, "Lindsay, this is my mom, Maria. Mama, this is my girlfriend, Lindsay." He watched with relief as his mother reached forward to embrace Lindsay like a daughter. He realized right then and there how important it was for him that the two most important women in his life should get along with each other.

"Lindsay!" his mom exclaimed. "Finally, we get to meet you! We've heard so much about you."

"Yeah," Mia chimed in. "Every time Danny comes home, he always has a story about you. 'Montana this, Montana that'," she mimicked, causing a heated flush to climb up to Danny's cheeks.

Lindsay laughed along with the two women and spoke for the first time that night. Between the three Messers, it was hard to get a word in edgewise. "It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Messer. Danny's told me so much about both of you," she said, smiling at Mia as well.

Maria waved her hand, "Oh, no, sweetheart. Don't call me Mrs. Messer. It makes me feel old." She winked at Lindsay, "You can call me Maria."

The two Messer women pulled Lindsay deeper into the kitchen, where an appetizing aroma of fresh herbs and homemade spaghetti sauce made Lindsay's stomach rumble in response.

"Hey, Ma," Danny called out. "Where's Dad?"

"In here," a voice called behind them. "How ya doin', son?" the deep voice of Danny's father was tinged with pride and affection as he greeted Danny with a tight hug.

"Doin' great, Pops," Danny answered, grinning back at his father. He called out, "Hey, Ma, you wanna give me back Lindsay for a minute? I want Pop to meet her."

He looked back to the women to find Maria and Lindsay in front of the stove. The three women were sharing an animated conversation over the steaming pot of spaghetti sauce. Lindsay and Maria both started laughing at something Mia said.

"Montana," he called out again, reaching out his hand to motion her to come closer. "Come over here, will ya?"

Lindsay looked at Maria, who immediately waved her hand and said, "Go, go. You should meet my husband. But you come back here right away, so I can teach you how to make good homemade sauce, the way Danny likes it," Maria finished with a satisfied smile.

Lindsay smiled back at her and said, "I will." She turned to walk back to where Danny was.

Danny grinned affectionately at her and said, "Less than fifteen minutes and my Ma's already sharing recipes with you." Lindsay noticed that his Staten Island accent became even more pronounced when he was around his family.

He tucked her close to his side and turned her to face his dad. "Lindsay, this is my dad, Paulino Messer. Pop, this is my girlfriend, Lindsay."

Paulino Messer reached out to take Lindsay's hand in his. "Hello, Lindsay. You can call me Lino."

Lindsay said warmly, "It's a pleasure to meet your entire family, Lino."

Lino asked her, "So I understand you work with Danny at the lab?"

Lindsay replied, "Yeah. I started working there about a year and a half ago. Danny and I have been partners since then."

Lino winked at his son and said, "You lucked out with this one, kid."

Danny laughed and answered, "Don't I know it, Pop."

As Lindsay observed Danny interact with his father, she came to the conclusion that although Danny had a greater physical resemblance to his mother, especially because of his eyes, he also had a lot of his father in him. The two men had the same built, solid without being overly tall. He and Lino also shared the hard glint of intelligence in their eyes, as well as the pride in their stance that some might consider arrogant. Oh yes, Danny definitely was his father's son.

At that moment, Maria called out to the rest of the family. "Danny, dinner's almost ready. Why don't you and Lindsay go set the table?"

Danny turned towards Lindsay, who responded with a quick smile, "Sure, let's go." Lino excused them quickly and they went back into the kitchen to do as Maria had requested.

Danny led Lindsay to the cupboards, where he grabbed several plates and passed them over to her. He reached into another drawer and pulled out utensils and with his hand on the small of her back, guided her into the dining room that was used by his family on special occasions.

After setting the table, Lindsay went back into the kitchen. "Maria, is there anything else I can do to help?"

Maria grinned at her and said, "Thank you, dear. You can help Mia put together the salad." She motioned towards the counter, where Mia stood shredding some lettuce. Lindsay reached out and started slicing the tomatoes.

Danny came back into the kitchen and laughed at the sight before him. He said to his mother, "Ma, I can't believe you've put her to work already."

Maria admonished Danny in Italian, _"Danny, if she's going to be your future wife she has to learn her way around the kitchen."_

Danny tried hedging, flushing at his mother's remark. _"Who said she's going to be my future wife?" _he replied in Italian as well.

Upon hearing Danny, Lindsay's head shot up in surprise. Mia nudged her in the ribs and whispered, "You didn't know that Danny speaks fluent Italian?"

Lindsay whispered back, "No, it never came up. How did he learn?"

Mia laughed softly and explained, "Among the three of us, Danny's the only one who picked it up. He speaks Italian with my parents whenever he's here." She grinned at Lindsay, "Just ignore them. They'll quit after a while when they realize we don't get it."

Lindsay looked contemplatively at the man she loved. _One more surprise about Danny Messer,_ she thought with a smile.

Danny was still conversing with his mother. As always, his mother's intuition missed nothing and she replied to his previous question. _"Sweetie, when was the last time you cooked for a woman?"_

When Danny said nothing, but merely grinned ruefully at her, she continued, _"Moreover, when was the last time you cooked for a woman using a family recipe?"_

Danny shook his head wryly. He conceded defeat and answered, _"All right, Ma. You got me."_

Maria's face lit up with happiness at Danny's admission and she regarded her son fondly. _"You've made a good choice, kiddo. I like her a lot."_

Lino entered the conversation just then, speaking in Italian as well. _"Your mother's right, kid. This one will go the distance."_

Maria looked smugly at her husband and said, _"What did I tell you, Lino?"_

Lino laughed and walked over to his wife's side, wrapping his arm around her and kissing her on the cheek. _"All right, cara. You were right."_

Danny asked, _"Ma's right about what?" _

Lino sighed and explained ruefully, _"I wouldn't believe your mother when she said you were in love with Lindsay and now I owe her fifty bucks."_

Danny looked at both his parents with exasperation. _"I can't believe you're betting on my love life. I thought we got enough of that at work."_

Both Lino and Maria started laughing. Maria quickly turned off the stove and reverted back to English. "_Cara_ Mia, can you get this in a serving plate please?"

Maria left her daughter to the task and took over Mia's place beside Lindsay. She said, "Now the secret to good vinaigrette is that you put lemon instead of vinegar. Doesn't wilt the vegetables as quickly and it tastes really good, much fresher." While talking, she expertly squeezed three lemons into a small bowl and mixed it with olive oil and some herbs.

She handed the bowl to Lindsay and motioned for her to drizzle it into the salad, which Lindsay obediently did. Maria smiled and nodded in satisfaction, and said, "Let's eat."

They took their places around the table. Lino, of course, sat at the head of the table, with Maria at his right. Mia sat next to her mother, while Danny and Lindsay sat to Lino's left. The other seat at the end of the table was conspicuously empty and Danny took a deep breath. Lindsay caught the telling motion and squeezed his hand gently.

Maria also looked sadly at the empty place at the table and looked to her husband for comfort. Lino reached for his wife's hand and said, "He'll be here next year,_ cara_. Don't worry."

A wobbly smile broke out on Maria's face and Lindsay suddenly caught a glimpse of how badly Danny's mother was hurting because of her oldest son's condition.

Then Maria straightened her shoulders and smiled at the rest of the family, including Lindsay. In her approving gaze, Lindsay caught the subtle message. _You're part of the family now._

Maria spoke, "Mia, I think it's your turn to say grace."

Mia nodded and reached across the table for Lindsay's hand as the entire family linked hands while Mia said grace. "Dear Lord, bless this food that we are about to eat. Thank you for giving the family a chance to be together for the holidays and we pray that next year, Louie will be back with us. Amen."

Lino smiled and said, "Let's eat."

Everyone dug into the lovingly-prepared meal. Lindsay eagerly took her first bite of the spaghetti and was blown away. After swallowing the first bite, she looked wryly at Danny and said, "Now I know where you get it."

Maria and the others looked at her questioningly and Lindsay chuckled while she explained, "The other day, Danny made oatmeal cookies and they were terrific. Now I know where he learned how to cook."

Maria grinned at Lindsay's heartfelt compliment. "Did you know that Danny loves to cook?"

Lindsay nodded, "He's cooked once or twice, but mostly, it's been a busy month, so all we've had time for is take-out." She teased Danny and said, "Now I know that I should get you to cook more often."

The rest of the table started laughing. Then Mia spoke up, "You should have him make lasagna for you, and there's this pasta that he makes, that only Mama knows the ingredients to, that is absolutely amazing."

Danny grinned at her, "Don't worry, Montana, I'll make you dinner one of these days when we get a night off."

Lindsay nodded as she twisted more spaghetti onto her fork and she said, "I'll hold you to that."

The rest of the dinner passed by pleasurably, with Danny's parents and sister sharing stories about him as a kid. Throughout the meal, Lindsay recognized the tight bond between Danny and his family and she understood better why it was so difficult for him that he and Louie had drifted apart over the years after that incident at the Giants Stadium.

Lindsay's heart swelled at the scene before her. It was obvious that Danny's parents were proud of him and they loved him very much. Between Danny and Mia, there was a lot of mutual love and respect despite the teasing. Most of all, Lindsay was grateful for the warmth that Danny's family extended towards her.

After the delicious meal, Danny and Lindsay regretfully said their goodbyes to the family. They were both on call the next day and they needed to go home and get some rest. But before they left, Maria called Danny into the room to check something out.

Danny followed his mother into the second floor and left Lindsay to chat with his dad and sister.

Entering his parents' bedroom, Danny sat down on the bed and waited while his mother retrieved something.

A minute later, she stepped over to the bed and handed him a small box. Danny flipped it open and examined the object inside while his mother's eyes filled with sentimental tears.

He stood up and hugged her tight. He whispered, _"Grazie, Mama."_

Maria hugged her son back. He pulled away after a minute and gave her an affectionate kiss, tucking the small box into the pocket of his coat.

"I have to go, Mama," Danny said softly, grinning at his mother. Oh, how Maria loved that grin. It was the same charming Messer grin that made her fall in love with Paulino and it made her heart swell with pride every time she saw that same smile curve her sons' lips.

She smiled tearily at Danny and waved him away, "Go ahead, kiddo. You don't want to keep Lindsay waiting."

Danny walked back downstairs and found Lindsay standing near the mantel, looking at the family pictures. Lino and Mia were slouched on the couch, calling out comments about the various pictures.

Danny caught up with Lindsay just as she was looking at the family picture taken on the day Danny graduated from the Academy. He slipped an arm around her waist and kissed her temple softly.

Lino got up from the couch, walked over to Danny and Lindsay and said, "The day Danny graduated from the Academy was one of the proudest days of my life." He clapped his son on the shoulder and addressed Lindsay bluntly, gauging her reaction, "I was happy that he didn't follow me into the family business. Since then, I've done what I've could to make sure that my son doesn't get tainted by where we came from."

At that, Danny said firmly to his dad, "I'm not tainted by anything, Pops. You and Mama did your best to make sure me and Louie and Mia had the best upbringing you could give us and I'm proud to be your son."

Lindsay quietly witnessed the honest emotion flowing between father and son. Here, in his home, Danny had no guards up. Here, he felt safe enough to not hide behind cockiness and jokes. Here, she saw a side of Danny that she only saw when it was just the two of them. And she was happy. She knew that Danny was only this was with people he felt completely safe with.

Lino was still looking at her, waiting for a response. Lindsay said solemnly, "From where I stand, he doesn't have anything to be ashamed of." Her lips curved into an involuntary smile as she leaned closer to him. "He has a wonderful family who loves him and supports him, and I don't think anyone should ask for more than that."

Lino smiled, relieved to see that Lindsay was aware of the family background and she wasn't afraid of it. His son needed a tough woman like her.

"You're a good woman, Lindsay Monroe," Lino said gently. "And my son needs a woman like you. You're welcome in our home anytime." He spread his arms to give Lindsay a fatherly hug.

She stepped into them willingly, returning his embrace with equal affection. "Thank you, Lino."

Lino addressed his son, "You make sure you bring her the next time you come around, kid."

Danny nodded, a grin spreading across his face. "Will do, Pops," he promised.

Lino walked them to the door, "Be sure to call when you get home."

This time it was Lindsay who answered, "We will. Thank you again, Lino." She flashed him one last smile before she and Danny turned away.

Danny wrapped his arm around her waist and whispered softly, "Come on, Montana. Let's go home."

* * *

That's it for today. I wasn't planning on writing such a long chapter, but I really wanted a lot of interaction with Danny's family. :D

Next chapter will have the Flacks. :D I don't know how that one will go, but we'll see tomorrow, I guess. I'll also try to sneak in a little MacStella for their shippers. :D

Let me know what you think of this one okay? I look forward to reviews.

I'm off to watch 'Silent Night'. I heard from the forums that it sucked though, and there was no D/L interaction. Sigh.


	40. The One With Dinner at the Flacks'

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

That same evening, Flack took Jordan home to meet his parents.

Jordan was still a bit nervous as they stood outside a simple brownstone in Yonkers. She gnawed on her bottom lip again and the telltale motion didn't go unnoticed by Flack.

He reached out to stroke her back reassuringly and said, "Don't worry about it. They'll love you." He bent down to place a soft kiss on her forehead and grinned at her. "By the way, did I tell you that you look great tonight?"

Jordan had been torn with indecision over what to wear to dinner, so she had decided to take her cue from what Flack was wearing. That night, he'd decided to wear a pair of nice jeans that were casual enough, but not too casual, and light blue pullover sweater. To Jordan, only Flack could look comfortably rumpled and incredibly neat and presentable at the same time.

To match Flack's casual elegance, Jordan opted for a simple pair of slightly flared jeans and a violet cashmere sweater that fit snugly against her trim frame. She also wore the new boots that Flack had given her as a Christmas gift.

Flack's eyes wandered approvingly over Jordan and she felt somewhat more confident about meeting his family. But there was no more room to be nervous, because at that instant, the door swung open to reveal an older version of Don Flack Jr.

The voice of Don Flack Sr. boomed out of the house. "Well, don't just stand there, son. Your mother taught you better manners than to keep beautiful ladies waiting out in the cold."

Flack grinned sheepishly and said, "Hi Dad." He greeted his father with an informal salute that was acknowledged by a nod and an identical grin.

Flack ushered Jordan inside and introduced her to his father. "Jordan, I want you to meet my father, Donald Flack Sr. Dad, this is my girlfriend, Jordan Addison."

Flack Sr. said, "You're his new partner, right? Roberts told me about you." He reached out to shake her hand.

Jordan couldn't hold back the look of surprise on her face and Flack Sr. let out a soft chuckle.

Flack groaned in frustration and he said, "You talked to the Chief about me?"

Flack Sr. held up his hands and said, "Hey! In my defense, he was the one who brought it up. I just called to check if we were still watching the game at his place since your mother had friends coming over and I wanted to watch the game in peace." He dropped his voice and said with another chuckle. "My wife was a little put off not just by the fact that I already knew about you and Donnie seeing each other, but also because I found out before she did."

Flack raised his eyebrows at his father, "A _little_ put off?"

Flack Sr. conceded with a shrug. "Okay, so she was pissed off at me." He winked at Jordan and she could feel herself warming up to Flack's father, a man considered by many to be a legend in the NYPD. At home, Don Flack Sr. was no different from any other of Jordan's friends' dads. He was genial, welcoming and affectionate.

Flack Sr. continued, "I should probably take you guys to the kitchen. It doesn't help my case if I monopolize you two."

Flack placed his hand reassuringly between Jordan's shoulder blades and gently pushed her towards the kitchen.

"Tess!" Flack Sr. hollered, strolling into the kitchen. "Donnie's here!"

Tess Flack was a diminutive woman, barely reaching the shoulders of her husband and son, yet, Jordan sensed in her the strength of will it must have taken to raise a man like Flack.

"Donnie!" Tess exclaimed, hurrying forward to give her only son a hug.

Flack bent down to take his mom in his arms and lifted her clean off her feet, causing her to let out a shriek and slap him playfully on his muscular shoulder. "Put me down now!" Tess ordered laughingly.

Flack put his mother down obediently and planted a kiss both her cheeks. "Nice to see you again Mom." Turning to the side, he pulled Jordan forward gently and introduced her to his mother. "Jordan, I want you to meet my mom, Tess Flack. Mom, this is my girlfriend, Jordan."

Tess beamed at Jordan, "Hello, dear. It's nice to meet you. Donnie told me quite a bit about you when we talked yesterday."

Jordan shot a questioning look at Flack. He understood the silent question and quickly explained, "You were at interrogation with Danny."

Jordan nodded in understanding and smiled warmly at Flack's mom. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Flack."

Tess waved her hand gaily and said, "Oh, don't call me that. Tess is fine." She walked quickly to the base of the steps and called out, "Erin! Dinner's ready!"

Flack looked at his mother in surprise. "Erin's here already?"

Tess nodded. "Yes. She's been holed up in her room for several days, trying to study."

Flack Sr.'s let out a booming laugh. "She barricaded herself in, saying there were too many distractions in her apartment. She's trying to catch up on her review schedules."

Just at that moment, a leggy brunette whose blue eyes flashed behind chunky tortoiseshell frames slid down the banister. "Are you guys talking about me again?" She expertly jumped down on the landing and grinned at her family.

She spotted Jordan and said, "Hi, I'm Erin. I'm the baby of the family. You must be Jordan. My brother told us a lot about you last night." She shook Jordan's hand and flashed her a friendly smile.

Flack rolled his eyes and said, "Hey, kid." He reached out to give his sister a bear hug. "How's the studying going?"

"Horrible," she moaned. "I'm way behind on the review schedule I set up for myself."

Flack ruffled her hair affectionately. "It'll all be worth it when we finally get to call you Attorney Flack."

Erin sighed, "I hope so." Changing the subject abruptly, she turned to Jordan and said brightly, "So how long have you been seeing my brother?"

Jordan blinked at the sudden turn of the conversation but quickly recovered. She slid a teasing glance at Flack and asked, "I don't really know. Your brother tried to hit on me on my first day."

Erin burst out laughing, "Whoa! You got yourself a live one, bro. I think I like her."

Tess interrupted the friendly banter by saying, "Hey, just cause I'm smaller than all of you doesn't mean you can ignore me, alright? I said dinner's ready."

All three Flacks smiled sheepishly at Tess while Jordan looked on in amusement. Tess expelled a satisfied sniff and said, "That's better." She led the others into the dining room and they all sat down to eat.

Flack Sr. did the honors by being the first to cut into the beautifully prepared roast that was placed at the center of the table. Homemade mashed potatoes with just enough lumps and delicious gravy were a perfect complement to the juicy meat and everyone dug in enthusiastically.

The conversation was light, with the Flacks asking Jordan various questions about her background and how she was finding the city.

Jordan gave Flack's hand a squeeze. "Don's been really great with helping me get used to New York. Plus," she explained, "It also helps that we also work with my former roommate."

Flack interrupted, "You remember Lindsay Monroe, Mom? The CSI from Montana I told you about?"

Tess nodded, "Is this the one that Danny insists that he doesn't like?"

Flack and Jordan grinned at each other. "Actually," Jordan revealed, with a wide smile, "They're living together now."

Tess gasped in delight. "Really? That's great! I'm so happy for Danny." She told Flack, "Bring him and Lindsay over the next time you guys come here. I want to meet the woman who managed to make Danny Messer commit to a relationship. That's even harder than getting _you_ to commit. Although Jordan managed that quite well," she finished, shooting a mischievous glare at Jordan and her son, who flushed under her knowing gaze.

Flack hastily changed the subject and told Jordan, "My mom sort of adopted Danny. She makes it a hobby to bug us both about our lack of female companionship."

Tess sniffed disapprovingly, "Donnie, I know for a fact that you and Danny don't lack female companionship. If anything, you have too many companions." She smiled maternally at Jordan, "But you know something, Jordan? I've learned that men like Danny and my son, once you get them to settle down, they'll never leave your side." She smiled in satisfaction now and they conversation turned to safer topics.

Often, during the course of the dinner, Tess observed that Jordan and her son brushed their hands against each other when no one was looking, or they slid glances at each other. Whenever their eyes would meet, Tess could practically see the love and affection that flowed between them and she felt a queer sort of happiness that was intermingled with the regret that she was no longer the only woman in her son's life.

After dinner, Flack closed his eyes in satisfaction, "Man, nothing beats a home cooked meal."

Erin teased, "Why? Jordan never cooks for you?"

Jordan smiled back and said, "All I pretty much manage to make for us is breakfast. It's been a pretty wild month at work, so we've been living on take-out."

Tess shook her head, "Donnie, I keep telling you to eat better. How are you going to be able to do your job well if you don't eat?" She turned to Jordan for reinforcements, "Jordan, sweetheart, you have to make sure he eats well. This one?" she glared at Flack disapprovingly. "He'd kill himself in microwaved food if you don't take good care of him." She patted Jordan's hand warmly, "He'll probably listen to you. If he doesn't you feel free to call me so I can yell at him for being so stubborn."

Jordan laughed at the look on Flack's face. He visibly blanched at his mother's words. She turned to Tess and promised, "I will," while sliding a teasing grin towards Flack.

Flack Sr. rescued his son by saying, "Leave him alone, Tess. We both know how busy being a cop is."

Tess sighed, "Don, I'm just trying to take care of him."

Flack Sr. reasoned, "I know that, but he's not a kid anymore, he's an adult and we have to assume that he knows how to take care of himself."

Tess just glared at him. _Why does he always have to be right about these things?"_

Just then, both Flack and Jordan's phones chirped at the same time. They looked at each other. Flack asked, "Who've you got?"

Jordan checked her phone and said, "It's just a message from the station. You?"

"I've got dispatch here," Flack said. He flipped his phone open and said curtly, "Flack."

He listened quietly for a moment while Jordan read the message. After a minute, he disconnected the call and said, "We got a B & E in a convenience store. One casualty, they need us there now."

Jordan nodded in a businesslike manner. "I'll call Mac and have him send CSIs over."

Both turned to Tess in apology.

Tess sighed resignedly and said, "Go. I understand."

Flack stood up and pulled Jordan up. They walked over to Tess and Flack leaned down, planting a kiss on her cheek. "I'm sorry, Mom. But we have to go."

Jordan said, "Thank you for a great dinner, Tess. It was great to meet all of you," shooting an apologetic smile at Erin and Flack Sr.

Erin grinned at her, "It's cool. You get used to it when your dad's a cop." She got up to give Jordan a hug. "I hope I see you around again, Jordan."

Jordan chuckled and said, "Me too. Maybe when you're done with your exams, Don and I can take you out."

Erin beamed at her brother, "You guys will take me out? Oh, I am liking her more and more by the minute!"

Flack groaned and ruffled his sister's hair again. "Go study, and call me, okay?"

Erin nodded, "Will do, bro. Love you."

Flack grinned as they stepped out of the kitchen to leave the house, "Love you too."

Flack and Jordan both said their good-byes and headed to the crime scene.

* * *

That's all I got for today. :D It's much shorter than the Messers' dinner, but then again, I had a hard time putting original stuff in, cause otherwise, it's going to seem too much like dinner with the Messers.

Still haven't thought of a good scenario for Mac and Stella. I don't like that he and Peyton got back together, so I'm going to try and put MacStella action here.

I hope you liked this one! Don't forget to review:D Thanks again:D


	41. The One With Ground Zero

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

By the way, in this universe, Peyton Driscoll does NOT exist, not that I have anything against her. It's just that I think Mac and Stella will get together eventually and she is a complication that will probably get killed off or fired or will move away eventually.

* * *

On Christmas Eve, Mac stood outside the chain link fence that kept outsiders away from the charred remains that was all that were left of the World Trade Center. 

He closed his eyes briefly and let memories of his wife overtake him. The first time they met, the first time they kissed, walking down the hall on their wedding day, waking up next to her in the mornings… There were so many memories. Sometimes at the oddest moments, a particular sight, a scent, a sound would take him back to a moment with her and pain rushed over him.

But lately, he noticed that the pain that he felt had changed from a sharp, stabbing sensation that threatened to rip him apart, to a dull, aching throb that was fading day by day. When it first happened, memories of Claire had left Mac in anguish, tightly keeping his emotions in check so none of the pain he felt would ever show.

In the past few months though, every time he thought of Claire, there was often less bitterness over the fact that she was no longer with him.

Since he had met Reed Garrett, he felt more fortunate that even though Claire was gone, he had the chance to spend time with her, to laugh with her, to love her and to be loved by her. That was more than Reed ever got. That knowledge filled Mac with gratitude.

Mac had always been a reflective man, and he knew that Stella Bonasera was a huge part of the reason why he now wanted to move on. After Claire had died, Stella had been his quiet beacon of strength. She had been good friends with Claire, and she had grieved with him after 9/11. She was always there, silently encouraging him to go through each day at a time, offering support and compassion with a simple touch or look.

Stella had taken care of him, made sure he had not closed himself off to the world. Her persistence in making sure that he went out with the team every once in a while had always been her way of making sure that he didn't lock himself away. Yes, Stella had been good to him.

He had been able to return the favor after that unfortunate incident with Frankie. He had offered unwavering support and gave her the reassurance and safety she had needed at that time. He held her the same way she held him when he had been too overcome with pain to even shed tears.

He wasn't sure when it changed from seeing her as a trusted friend and colleague. When Aiden had died, she came to him in his office, just before the team met in the bar. They had held each other once again, just like they did when Claire had died. They shared their grief and pain, and helped each other get through the rest of the day.

He would always love Claire. She had been a big part of his life and he knew that until the day he died, a part of him would always love her for the person that she had been. But Claire had been a warm, generous, giving person. He knew deep inside that Claire wouldn't want him to grieve forever. She would want him to be happy, and he knew where he would find that happiness.

Now, as he stood in the place where she had last been, he talked to her. In a quiet voice that only he and the wind heard, Mac spoke to his wife.

"I love you, Claire Conrad Taylor. I always have and I always will. It's been so lonely without you." He paused for a moment, a wave of renewed grief washing over him, then settling into a dull throb around his heart.

"You know why I'm here don't you?" he asked quietly. He let out a gentle chuckle. "I'm sure you know why. You've always known me better than I knew myself."

He inhaled deeply. "I know this is what you would want me to do, because this is what I would have wanted you to do if it had been me in there on that day."

He smiled briefly as he looked up into the night sky then turned around.

He halted immediately when he saw who was behind him.

"Stella," he said with surprise evident in his voice. "What are you doing here?"

Stella was standing behind him, bundled up in her winter coat, her unruly curls tucked underneath a knit hat. She flashed the smallest of smiles and then shrugged. "I don't really know."

"Aren't you supposed to be at the orphanage?" he asked. He knew that since she didn't have any family to spend Christmas with, she visited the orphanage and spent Christmas there with the kids.

Stella took a deep breath and stuck her hands deeper into the pockets of her coat as she answered, "Yeah. But for some reason, I felt like taking a walk. I don't even know how I got here." She smiled ruefully, tipping her head slightly to indicate the dark area behind the fence.

Mac paused, a new warmth settling into his heart. _Thank you, sweetheart._ Now, more than ever, his decision to move on was reinforced and he held his hand out to Stella.

"Would you like to get a cup of coffee?"

Stella was obviously startled. Then she cleared her throat and smiled brightly at him, putting her gloved hand in his. "Only if you're buying, Taylor."

Mac let out a soft but hearty laugh as he and Stella made their way, hand in hand, down the street.

* * *

Danny and Lindsay drove in companionable silence back to their apartment. Danny had Lindsay's hand firmly intertwined with his as he steered the car with his other hand. 

After a while, he broke the silence. He glanced at her and said, "So, what do you think?"

Lindsay turned to smile at him. "What do I think about what?"

Danny answered, "My family."

Lindsay grinned and said, "They're great, Danny. Especially your dad. I like them." She scooted across the bench seat of the car to sit close to him, resting her head on his shoulder as he slid his arm around her.

Danny smiled, pleased that she had a good time. He asked teasingly, "Did you like the food?"

Lindsay chuckled and said, "Oh, there are definitely advantages to having an Italian guy for a boyfriend."

Danny laughed along with her, pretending to be hurt. "So you're only with me cause my mom's a great cook?"

Lindsay looked up at him and teased him, "Would you blame me if I said yes?"

Danny considered that for a moment, then had to concede that she had a point. He shrugged, "Can't really blame ya." He grinned at her.

Snuggled into his arms, Lindsay thought aloud, "I wonder if you'll like my family."

Danny pressed a kiss on her temple as he maneuvered the car into their parking space. "If they're anything like you, Montana, I'm sure I'll love them too."

They walked up to their apartment where Danny unlocked the door. As he always insisted on doing, he entered first to make sure that the place was clear before he let her in. At first it bugged Lindsay that he did that, but she had gotten used to it. In fact, she liked the fact that he was being so protective of her, not that she needed protecting.

When she asked him about it, Danny had explained, "Don't get me wrong, Montana. I know you're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself." He had shrugged casually, "It's just that I grew up learning that it was better safe than sorry. Something my dad taught me. Plus, do you remember that conversation we had about me not getting hurt on the job?"

When she nodded, he continued, "I feel the same way about you getting hurt because of where I came from. My family's not exactly the Brady Bunch, and I don't want you getting caught in the middle of anything."

Since then, she had never questioned his need to protect her. She understood very well how much he wanted to keep her safe.

Tonight, Danny flicked on the lights and checked his watch. He grinned at her, "We got about half an hour before Christmas, Montana. What do you say? We wait for it?"

Lindsay grinned back at him, "Sounds good to me. Want a beer?"

Danny answered, "You know it, Montana." He moved to stand next to the window that gave them a modest view of the snow-covered city. After a minute, Lindsay stood next to him, holding a cold beer out, which he accepted with a wide smile.

They stood there in silence, just enjoying the peaceful moment. Danny reached out to draw Lindsay closer to him. She stepped into his embrace and relaxed against him, her back pressed to his front.

When the clock struck twelve, Danny whispered softly into her hair, "Merry Christmas, Montana."

Danny smiled in contentment as the woman he loved turned around in his arms to give him a lingering kiss, "Merry Christmas, Danny."

* * *

Of course, I can't let a chapter pass without a little D/L. Hopefully, by January, we get more interaction. 

This chapter is for the MacStella fans. They'll be taking it nice and slow. I really don't see Mac as the type to rush into anything. But them getting together in the end will be worth it. :D

This chapter was a bit short, but I hope you liked it. Let me know what you think. :D Reviews are really appreciated:D


	42. The One Where Lindsay Wasn't Careful

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

The members of Mac Taylor's team all reported to work on Christmas Day. In their own way, the team was each other's family, and no one really minded so much that they would be working on Christmas.

Even Flack and Jordan were at the lab. They were officially off duty on that day, but they were on call, so they decided to spend the day hanging out with the CSIs at the Crime Lab. They decided to stay in the break room and wait for the 'lab rats' to go on break.

But as they say, crime never sleeps, not even on Christmas Day. Danny and Hawkes were working on the case of a guy found dead in a pool hall while Lindsay and Stella were investigating the mysterious death of a male psychiatrist who had been found in his office by his secretary, a tall, leggy blonde, with a letter opener stuck in his heart.

As Lindsay was running some prints from the crime scene through the database, Danny entered the room.

"Linds, me and Hawkes are going back to the pool hall. We need more pictures for context," Danny said, walking over to her and dropping a quick kiss on her cheek.

Lindsay looked away from the computer and smiled at him, "Alright. You coming back here for lunch? Stella and I are ordering take-out in a few minutes. You want me to get you anything?"

Danny answered, "Sure. Go ahead and pick something out for me. If I don't make it back for lunch, I'll just eat it when I get back."

Lindsay replied, "Got it." She grabbed the lapels of his lab coat and pulled him close to give him a kiss. "Be careful," she ordered.

"Whoa!" Danny grinned at her surprising forcefulness. "I gotta say I like this side of you, Montana."

Lindsay laughed and said, "Glad to hear that." She kissed him again and waved him off. He left the room, whistling jauntily to himself.

Lindsay turned her attention back to the print, a smile still lingering on her face.

Stella entered the room just then. When she caught sight of Lindsay's happy face, she couldn't resist teasing. "So Danny was just here, huh?"

Lindsay glanced at her questioningly, "What makes you think Danny came from here?"

Stella grinned at her friend and answered, "How 'bout the fact that you have that really goofy smile on your face that usually tells us that Danny was just around?"

Lindsay blushed despite herself. She conceded, "Yeah, he just came in to tell me that he and Hawkes are going out to follow a lead."

Stella looked at her thoughtfully, "You know, you're really good for Danny. I've never seen him happier."

Lindsay shrugged, warmed from Stella's subtle praise. "Well, if it helps, I've never been this happy either."

Their conversation was interrupted with the arrival of a lab tech. "Excuse me, Detectives. We have results on that trace sample you gave us earlier."

Stella flashed a bright smile at the lab tech and said, "Thanks." She reached for the folder and read the contents, her smooth brow wrinkling in concentration. "That can't be right," she said softly.

Concerned, Lindsay moved to stand next to Stella and look at the results. When she read the report, she frowned as well, "But that means the secretary was lying to us."

"I know," Stella agreed. She closed the folder and said tightly, "Let's go, Monroe. I think we need to have another chat with the saucy secretary."

* * *

Stella knocked on the door of the Lily Davis, the secretary who found the dead psychiatrist.

"Ms. Davis, this is Detective Bonasera from the NYPD Crime Lab. We'd like to ask you a few questions."

No answer.

Stella and Lindsay looked at each other suspicion evident in their eyes.

Lindsay banged on the door again, this time, much louder.

"Ms. Davis, we're from the Crime Lab. We just need to as you a few more questions about Dr. Richards."

Still no answer.

Stella heaved a sigh and motioned to the uniformed cop who stood with them. With a quick, fluid motion, the officer broke down the door and they strode inside.

The apartment was empty. It looked like Lily Davis had left in a hurry. Plates from breakfast were still scattered all over the table and the morning paper was strewn carelessly on the counter. A half-empty mug of now cold coffee was tipped over on its side, soaking the pages of the newspaper.

Stella looked around and said, "Looks like she left in a hurry."

Lindsay pursed her lips in annoyance and answered, "I wonder why." Noticing a door that was slightly ajar, she told Stella, "Hey Stel, why don't you check the bedroom? I'll see what's back here."

Stella nodded and walked into the bedroom while Lindsay approached the door cautiously, her gun extended in front of her. She pushed the door open experimentally, taking quiet steps while entering the room.

Suddenly, her gun flew out of her hand when something knocked hard against the bottom of her extended arm. She let out a loud yelp of pain and turned to the direction of the attacker.

Lily Davis moved quickly and tried to run out of the bedroom. Lindsay quickly threw herself at the fleeing woman, attempting to block her way.

Unfortunately for Lindsay, Lily was wielding a wicked looking kitchen knife and to defend herself, she plunged the knife solidly against Lindsay's side. Blood started pouring out a wound on her side and she used every bit of strength she had to call out, "Stella, she's running away!"

Lily quickly dropped the knife and ran out the door. Fortunately, Stella and the uniformed cop heard Lindsay's cry and rushed to help. On the way out, they were able to stop Lily and handcuff her so that she couldn't fight back or run.

Stella ran quickly into the room and saw Lindsay lying on the floor, with blood soaking her shirt. Stella noted with a quick sigh of relief that Lindsay was conscious, although she was turning a paler by the minute.

She quickly dropped down next to her friend and said urgently, "Stay with me, Lindsay." Reaching for the phone that was clipped at her side, she punched in a number. "This is Detective Bonasera. We have an injured CSI, we need a bus here immediately." Stella quickly rattled off the address of the place. She hung up after a few more seconds and turned back to Lindsay. Her breathing was a bit shallower now, but at least she was still awake.

Stella grasped Lindsay's hand and ordered, "Don't you dare fall asleep, Monroe."

Lindsay nodded weakly and managed to say in a tight voice, "Call Danny."

Stella nodded and answered, "Don't worry, I will. But you better stay awake, cause as soon as he finds out this happened, he's gonna want to yell at someone and I'm telling you, Monroe, I'm sure as hell not letting him yell at me."

Lindsay managed a small grin and concentrated hard on staying awake.

Much to Stella's relief, the EMTs arrived quickly and she stepped back to give them room to work. They quickly bandaged up Lindsay the best they could and they gave Stella a quick diagnosis.

"Detective, we'll need to take her down to the hospital for a few tests. Looks like she lost a lot of blood, and she'll definitely need stitches," the EMT told Stella.

Stella nodded and dreaded the call she would have to make. Danny would not be happy about this.

The EMTs loaded Lindsay into a stretcher and carrier her down. Stella followed purposefully behind them.

On the way to the hospital, she dialed Danny's number.

* * *

Danny and Hawkes were on their way out of the pool hall when his phone rang. Much to their satisfaction, it hadn't been cleaned yet, so much of the original crime scene was still there and they were able to take good photos.

He reached down to his waist and pulled out his phone. The caller ID said 'Stella'. Frowning, he thought to himself as he answered the phone, _Wasn't Stella with Montana on a case?_

Danny pressed a button and the call connected, "What's up, Stel?"

Over the line, Stella's voice was tight as she said, "Danny, there's been a slight accident."

His senses went on full alert as his blood turned ice cold. _Montana_. "Where's Lindsay? Is she alright?"

Stella's voice turned low and reassuring, "According to the EMTs, she's fine. We were at a scene when the suspect tried to run and she stabbed Lindsay with a knife. We're on our way to Trinity Hospital now."

As soon as Danny got the name of the hospital, he slammed the phone shut and barked to Hawkes, "Keys!"

Hawkes was startled at the urgency in Danny's voice and he asked, "What happened?"

Danny's face was pale with fear and the muscles in his neck worked to control his voice. "Lindsay got hurt at a scene. They're taking her to the hospital now."

Hawkes didn't even pause. He nodded and said to Danny, "I'll drive. You call Mac and tell him where we're going." Both lengthened their strides and they reached the car quickly.

Danny and Hawkes jumped into the car. In less than twenty minutes, he and Hawkes arrived at the hospital.

Hawkes glanced at Danny in concern. For the entire ride, he had been silent, yet he radiated a quiet desperation. Hawkes knew that if he thought he would get there faster, Danny would run across the city just to get to Lindsay.

Hawkes dropped Danny off in the driveway of the hospital while he went to park the car.

Danny ran to the information desk. He asked tersely, "The CSI who was stabbed, where is she?"

The nurse looked taken aback at the wild anxiety in Danny's eyes and demeanor. She replied, "She's been taken to the emergency room…"

"Danny!" a voice called out behind him. Danny whirled around the find Stella.

"Stella," he managed to say past the lump growing in his throat. "What happened? Where is she?"

Stella grabbed his arm and steered him towards the direction of the emergency room. "They took her to the ER. We got here about ten minutes ago. They're checking her out and stitching the wound right now. EMTs said she would be fine, that she just lost a lot of blood."

The words cut into the fog of worry that was clouding Danny's brain. He asked Stella demandingly, "What happened, Stella?"

Stella took deep breath and tried to calm him down, "A suspect tried to run. Lindsay blocked the exit, but the woman had a knife. She's in the station as we speak."

At that moment, a doctor stepped out of the operating room and asked, "Who's here for Detective Monroe?"

Danny quickly stepped forward and said, "How is she, Doctor?"

The doctor frowned and asked, "Are you family?"

Danny shook his head and flashed his badge. "I'm Detective Danny Messer. I'm Detective Monroe's partner. I'm also her boyfriend. Is she okay?"

The doctor seemed satisfied with Danny's explanation and he answered, "She'll be fine, Detective Messer. She just lost a lot of blood and we had to stitch the wound closed. Lucky for us, the knife missed any organs. It's purely a flesh wound. Just a week of bed rest and we can take the stitches out. Detective Monroe will be good as new."

Danny sent a quiet prayer of thanks heavenward. He asked, "Can we see her now?"

The doctor nodded again, "Once she's settled into a room, you can visit her." He cautioned, "I want to keep her here overnight, just to be sure. And don't wear her out, she needs her rest."

Danny and Stella nodded. Stella reached her hand out and said, "Thank you, Doctor."

The doctor smiled kindly at them and said, "You're welcome, Detectives. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to attend to another patient."

Stella smiled at Danny and motioned Danny forward. "Go ahead," she said softly.

Danny smiled back at her in gratitude and stepped inside the room.

At the sight of Lindsay lying on the bed, he felt his throat close up again with emotion. With her petite frame, she looked impossibly small on that hospital bed and her face looked pale.

He tried to suppress the bile rising in his throat as he thought of what happened. He took deep breaths and focused on one thing: Lindsay. _She's alright, Messer. She's alright._

Danny walked closer to the bed and reached for Lindsay's hand. With his free hand, he swept a few tousled curls off her forehead and bent down to press a kiss on her temple.

Lindsay stirred at his touch and she opened her eyes to find Danny gazing worriedly at her. She swallowed a couple of times and said in a raspy whisper, "Hey Danny."

At the sound of her voice, joy and relief blazed in Danny's eyes and he replied huskily. "Hey yourself. So much for telling me to be careful."

Lindsay saw the anxiety and fear in his eyes and she smiled reassuringly at him. "Did I scare you, Danny?"

A glimmer of a scowl started forming on his handsome face. "Damn right you did, Montana. What were you thinking?"

Lindsay squeezed her fingers around his as she answered, "Thank you for worrying about me."

Danny bent down again to place a desperate kiss on her lips. "Didn't we talk about this already?" he growled.

Lindsay looked up at him questioningly, "About what?"

"About being careful and not making each other worry," Danny answered with a trace of fear still evident in his voice.

Lindsay smiled briefly at him and said, "I'm fine, Danny."

Just then, Danny's phone rang and he looked at it with annoyance.

On the pillow, Lindsay tilted her head and said, "You might want to get that."

Danny checked the phone and saw that it was Mac. He quickly flipped it open and said, "Yeah, Mac."

He listened for a while and answered, "The doctor said she's fine, she just needs a week of rest. She had to get stitches."

After a while he disconnected the phone and informed Lindsay, "Mac told me to tell you that you're not allowed to come to work for a week. You have to get better before you can go back to work."

Lindsay groaned and said, "What in the world am I going to do at home for a week?"

Danny just gave her a pointed glance until she emitted a disgruntled sigh. "Fine. I'll rest."

Danny grinned at her in satisfaction and he bent down to kiss her again. "Glad to hear you finally make sense, Montana."

As she glared at him, he touched his forehead lightly to hers and said, "Don't do that ever again, okay?"

Lindsay replied, "Do what?"

Danny swallowed hard and said quietly, "Scare me half to death."

Lindsay's glare softened and she curled her fingers tightly in his. "I won't."

Danny continued, "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you." That special grin she loved so much, the one he reserved especially for her, was starting to make an appearance again as he said, "I love you too much."

Lindsay's world melted around her at Danny's words. She pulled him down to give him a lingering kiss and she said, "I love you too, Danny."

* * *

That's pretty much it for today. Due to insistent public demand, there will be a chapter where Hawkes will cook Cassie dinner or vice versa. Remember that today is Christmas Day for our favorite detectives and the day isn't over yet.

Watch out for more D/L fluff. Danny will be a bit overprotective in the next chapters since Lindsay got injured.

Let me know what you think of this one. :D Reviews are highly anticipated:D Thanks again for all the great reviews:D


	43. The One Where Cassie Calls Him Sheldon

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

Cassie had Christmas Day off. She spent the entire afternoon in her apartment, preparing a special meal for her and Hawkes to enjoy together that night.

After his shift, Hawkes went straight to Cassie's place. As he fished his key ring out of his pocket, the events of the day rushed back at him and he felt weariness descend upon him.

As CSIs, they often saw their share of the bad things that happen in the world. However, it wasn't often that these bad things happen to one of their own. Whenever it did happen, it always affected the team a lot, simply because they were more than colleagues. They were friends.

He stuck the key inside the lock and entered Cassie's apartment. All at once, the reassuring smells of a home-cooked meal wafted over him and his burden was eased a little. But it didn't completely remove the shadows in his eyes.

Cassie came out of the kitchen, walking towards him as he hung his coat next to a stand on the door. She slipped her slim arms around his neck to give him a soft kiss. She instantly knew that something was bothering him. She tipped her head back to look deeply into his eyes. "What's up, Doc?"

Normally, the quip would have made Hawkes smile, but tonight, he hugged her tightly, trying to absorb the life and vitality of her presence.

All through it, Cassie held him, waiting patiently for him to work through his emotions.

When it was over, he stepped back and gave her a long, thorough kiss, needing as much human contact as possible. He took a deep breath as he pulled away from her.

Cassie's perceptive brown eyes were questioning, but she kept her silence and waited for him to speak.

"What's wrong, Sheldon?" she asked quietly. Much like Danny called Lindsay Montana as a term of endearment, Cassie usually called Hawkes Doc. She only called him Sheldon when it was a serious discussion.

He shook his head ruefully at his sudden display of emotion and answered neutrally. "Lindsay got stabbed today."

"What?" Cassie's dark eyes flashed in concern. "Where is she now? Is she okay?"

Hawkes rushed to reassure her. "She's fine now. She went to a suspect's house with Stella and the woman tried to run. Linday got stabbed with a knife the woman was carrying. She lost a lot of blood and she needed stitches, but she's fine."

Cassie let out a sigh of relief. "That's good, then." She guided him gently to the couch. "Sit down for a while."

She walked quickly to the refrigerator and grabbed two beers. She twisted the tops open as she crossed the room to sit with Hawkes on the couch. She extended the beer to him silently and he accepted it with a grateful smile, taking a long swig.

She curled up next to him on the couch and found her customary place under his arm. She snuggled up to him and listened to the familiar drum of his heartbeat.

She asked softly, "Want to talk about it?"

Hawkes closed his eyes and leaned his chin on top of her head. "It's always different for me, when it's one of the team who gets hurt." He tried to find the words to explain. "I mean, I know she's okay, but it's just more difficult when it's one of your own." He wondered if he made sense, if he was able to convey just how afraid he'd been for Lindsay, who was like a sister to him.

Cassie nodded slowly, her hand rubbing his chest reassuringly. "I understand, Sheldon."

Hawkes continued quietly. "I remember when Flack got injured in that explosion."

Beside him, Cassie's hand stopped in mid-stroke and she gave him a questioning look. Hawkes saw the glance and clarified. "Last May, a bomb went off inside a building and Flack got the worst of the blast. It was touch and go for a while."

Cassie made an inarticulate sound of distress at the thought of the tall and lanky detective, her _friend_, lying wounded. Hawkes continued, "Today just kinda brought it all back for me. I was with Danny when Stella called him, and my god, Cassie, if you just saw how worried he was about Lindsay."

Cassie answered gently, "It's the same way I'd feel if I got a call that you were injured on the job."

Hawkes glanced down and caught her somber look. Knowing that Cassie was there was doing a lot to dispel the darkness inside him. He bent his head to brush a slow kiss on her lips and said with a glimmer of a smile on his handsome face, "So you'd be worried about me, huh?"

Cassie nodded thoughtfully, "I don't know how it happened, Doc, but you're starting to be really important to me."

Sparks of happiness shot through Hawkes at her simple admission and banished the last traces of weariness and fear and fatigue in him. He grinned at her and said, "Well, you're starting to be really important to me too."

Cassie laid her head back down on his chest and reached for his other hand, lacing their fingers tightly together. Hawkes closed his eyes, with his head tipped back to rest on the couch. They sat together for long minutes, just absorbing the warmth and life from each other.

After a few minutes, Cassie kissed Hawkes softly on the cheek and said with a smile, "Time to get up, Doc. Christmas dinner's waiting for us."

Hawkes opened his eyes to find Cassie looking at him expectantly. He felt his lips curl into a loving grin. "You cooked for me?"

Cassie nodded haughtily, "Uh-huh. And for your information, I happen to be a very good cook, so let's go. The food's getting cold."

Hawkes grinned at her one more time and let her tug him to his feet. He wandered into the kitchen after her and sniffed experimentally. "It does smell good, Cass. What did you make?"

Cassie answered, "Good old-fashioned home cooked meal. Roast beef ala Cassie, potato wedges and a surprise for dessert."

Before she sat down, Hawkes grabbed her waist and said with a wicked grin, "You wouldn't by any chance happen to be dessert now, would you?"

Cassie returned his grin and said coyly, "Eat your dinner and you'll find out sooner."

* * *

That's it for tonight. I wasn't supposed to write, but I couldn't stand the thought of not continuing the story, so something short and sweet for tonight. :D

This is for all those who have been waiting for more Hawkes and Cassie. MacStella coming up soon, hopefully. :D

Please review! It helps to know what you guys think:D


	44. The One With Danny's Hiding Place

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

Late that afternoon, Flack walked wearily down the hall of the police station. He found Jordan seated at the desk next to his, finishing up on some paperwork. 

She looked up with a welcoming smile, "Hey, Don…" Her smile quickly melted into a look of concern at the haggard expression on his face. "What happened?" she asked as she stood up to meet him halfway.

Flack silently hauled her closer and wrapped his arms around her. He buried his face in the clean fragrance of her hair and inhaled deeply.

Jordan immediately wrapped her arms around his waist and cradled his body against hers, not understanding why he was acting so strangely, but understanding instinctively that he needed her.

For long moments, they clung to each other, love and trust and healing flowing from one to the other.

Finally, Flack stepped back with a deep breath.

Jordan found her voice and asked, "What happened, Don?" Worry and concern were mirrored in the green depths of her eyes and the furrow in her forehead.

Flack said gruffly, "Lindsay was stabbed today at a scene."

Much like Cassie when she found out about Lindsay, Jordan's eyes widened in alarm. "Is she alright?"

Flack hastened to reassure her, "She's fine. They stitched her up. She's in Trinity and Danny's with her now."

Flack reached for her again and tucked her close to his body. This time, it was he who gave her comfort as he clasped her head in his big hand and pushed it tenderly to rest on his chest. He bent his head to press a kiss in her hair and he whispered hoarsely, "It could just as easily have been you."

Jordan made a soft sound and tightened her grip on his waist. She tilted her head upward to press her lips into his neck reassuringly. She understood now why he reacted like this.

"I'm here, Don," she said softy. "I'm safe and I'm alive and I'm with you." Her hand moved in soothing circles on his broad back.

Flack's bright blue eyes locked intently with Jordan's emerald gaze. "You have to promise me that you'll always be careful," he said in his deep, gruff voice. Jordan could see the naked plea hidden behind his tough exterior.

Jordan nodded and pulled his head down to kiss his lips gently. "So long as you promise me you'll always be careful as well." He bent his head to kiss her again, their lips meeting each other's in quiet desperation. Pretty soon, the kiss spiraled out of control and they tore apart from each other, breathing heavily.

"I love you, Don," Jordan whispered against Flack's neck.

His arms closed reflexively around her, "I love you too, Jordan." His big hand pushed her light brown hair aside and curled his hand tenderly around the nape of her neck, feeling the warmth of her skin.

She quipped shakily, a glimmer of humor in her eyes, "No more getting blown up in buildings alright? You're lucky we weren't together then. I would have waited for you to wake up just to be able to scream at you."

A reluctant chuckle escaped from Flack's lips and he murmured as he hugged her close again, "So long as it's you doing the yelling, sweetheart, I'm completely fine with that."

* * *

The day after Christmas, Danny took Lindsay home from the hospital. Mac had kindly given him the day off so he could stay with her. 

Despite Lindsay's protests that she could walk up the stairs by herself, Danny had insisted on carrying her down the hallway to their apartment.

He struggled briefly with opening the door. Sticking a key into a lock isn't easy when you were carrying a person in your arms, but Danny would have gone through worse for Lindsay. After a few more attempts, he finally managed to insert the key into the lock and push the door open.

He used his foot to kick the door gently shut behind them then asked Lindsay to pull the dead bolt home. After that, he walked swiftly towards the bedroom, where he helped Lindsay settle into the bed.

When Lindsay was propped up against the pillows and tucked warmly into the bed, Danny settled in beside her, his arm wrapped around her shoulders.

He loved the way she smelled. She wasn't like any of his old girlfriends, who smelled like a perfume counter. He realized just then how much he hated their smell.

The mixture of Lindsay's soap and shampoo, combined with the natural chemistry of her body, created a scent so sweet and clean that it made Danny heady. He breathed in the fragrance of her hair and thanked the powers that be that she was safe beside him.

Her head was pillowed on his chest, the soft curls of her hair tickling his neck and chin gently. Her hand played with his dog tags, stroking his chest through his shirt. She sensed the storm brewing inside him and she asked in a gentle voice, "You okay, Danny?"

Danny let out a long breath. He closed his eyes and mumbled, "No."

Lindsay sighed and pushed herself up from his chest, catching herself before she could let out a wince. She knew Danny would go ballistic if he found out that the painkillers had already stopped working and her side was hurting like hell.

"Danny," she said softly, reaching for his hand, tracing her finger on his wide, slightly rough palm. "I'm sorry I made you worry." She noticed the muscle twitching slightly in his cheek as he fought to tamp down his emotions. As she gazed into his eyes, she saw how terrified he had been and how angry he was that she had gotten hurt. She looked beseechingly at him, willing him to understand that she hadn't taken an unnecessary risk and that it just happened.

He looked at her for a moment longer and then sighed deeply, his free hand reaching out to tuck wayward curls behind her ear. He bent his head and his blue eyes searched her face. "I don't think I'll ever stop worrying about you, Linds." He shrugged, "But we've talked about this already. We both understand that it's a hazard of the job that the best we can do is try to avoid getting hurt on the job as much as we can, right?"

Lindsay nodded hesitantly and Danny continued his hand stroking the side of her face. "I know you followed procedure and you were careful, and that these things happen. I just want you to promise me that you'll be twice as careful next time okay?" Danny swallowed hard as he remembered how helpless he had felt when he found out that Lindsay had been injured.

Lindsay nodded again and said, "I promise I'll be _more_ careful." She leaned forward to kiss him and he wrapped his arms carefully around her, conscious of her wound. Lindsay heard the hammering of his heart and the current of emotion that flowed through him when she rested her head on his chest once more.

He turned his face into her hair and said in a voice roughened by fear, "I almost lost you again, Montana." He breathed deeply and let her scent fold around him in a comforting cocoon, reassuring him of her presence. "I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you."

Lindsay was humbled by the naked emotion she heard in Danny's voice. She levered herself up to gaze into the stormy depths of his blue eyes and said seriously, "You won't ever lose me, Danny. We've come too far to lose each other now." She sought to lighten the mood by quipping, "I think you're stuck with me now, Messer."

Danny smiled into her chocolate brown eyes and whispered hoarsely, "Thank god." He pulled her close again and kissed her one last time, before saying, "You better get some rest, Montana."

He gently helped her until she was able to ease into a lying position on the bed. He tucked the covers tight around her and planted a kiss on her forehead. "I love you, Montana. I'll be right outside if you need me, okay?"

Lindsay nodded sleepily and he asked one last question, "Do you want anything before I go outside?"

She answered, "Can I have another painkiller? The last one wore off already."

Danny asked in alarm, "What? How long ago?"

"About half an hour ago," Lindsay admitted.

Danny's brow immediately creased in concern, "That must have been hurting for a while. Why didn't you say so earlier?" Without waiting for her to answer, he quickly stood up from the bed and left the bedroom.

He returned with a glass of water and a prescription bottle. He shook out one of the pills and fed it to Lindsay, holding up her head so she could wash the pill down with water. He eased her back down on the pillow, whispering endearments to her. "There you go, baby. Don't worry, it will feel better soon."

Lindsay smiled gratefully at him and teased him gently, "Who would have thought that the cocky Danny Messer would be so sweet?"

Danny grinned self-consciously, "I dunno, Montana. You bring it out in me." He shook his head ruefully, muttering something beneath his breath.

Lindsay asked him, "What?"

He repeated it, a bit louder this time, a flush stealing up his face. "I said, I guess this is what happens when a country girl reforms a player."

Lindsay smiled drowsily at him and whispered as she closed her eyes, "Stay with me, Danny."

He bent down and kissed her gently, "Don't worry, Montana. I'll be right here. I always will be."

Danny quickly dragged a chair next to the bed and held Lindsay's hand until she fell asleep. When he saw that her breathing had evened out, he eased his hand gently from her grasp and tucked her hand under the covers.

He walked silently towards his bureau and reached into the back of one of the drawers. He pulled out the small box that his mother had given him that night they had dinner with his family.

He opened the box and examined the object inside. Nestled in the dark blue velvet was a ring made of white gold, with a simple diamond surrounded by light blue sapphires the exact same shade of Danny's eyes. It had been his mother's engagement ring. He imagined it on Lindsay's hand and found himself smiling in satisfaction.

As he tilted the box, the light caught in the stones, making it sparkle. Danny closed the box resolutely. _It's time. But I have to do it right. _He returned the box to its hiding place and slid the bureau drawer shut soundlessly.

He walked back to the bed and resumed his place at Lindsay's bedside. For the rest of the afternoon, he sat there and schemed as he watched the woman he loved sleep peacefully.

* * *

That's all for today folks:D I hope you guys liked this chapter. Let me know what you think of it, okay? 

Sorry it took so long to update. Things have been crazy at work and I hope this chapter, short as it is, has enough sweet moments to last us until January, when hopefully, Lindsay and Danny finally get together. I can't wait till that happens!:D

No MacStella yet. I'm still trying to figure out how to get them together without making it too dramatic. But don't worry, they WILL get together. Although a bit late, so you have to keep reading. Moments between them will pop up every once in a while. I never really know when it happens, it just does. :D

Please review! I miss your reviews:D


	45. The One With Danny's Nightmare

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

Danny awoke with a rush, breathing heavily. His arm swept jerkily across the bed and he sighed in utter relief as he felt Lindsay's warm form on the bed.

She awakened instantly, sensing his panic.

"Danny," she said worriedly, placing her hand on his chest in an attempt to soothe his raging heartbeat. "What's wrong?"

Danny reached out blindly and pulled her into the cocoon of his arms. "It's nothing," he whispered to her, placing a soft kiss on her temple as he cuddled her closer against his body.

Lindsay whispered back, rubbing soothing circles on his chest, "Nightmare?"

His eyes closed, Danny grunted in assent.

Lindsay continued to probe, her voice low and calming, "About what, Danny?" Her hand was still moving relaxingly across his chest, infusing him with a languorous feeling.

Danny answered in a tight voice, "You." He rubbed his hands over her back, as though to reassure himself that she was still there. "This time, the knife went two inches higher and punctured your heart."

Lindsay twisted slightly in his arms, reaching up wipe the damp sweat on Danny's face. He opened his eyes to look deeply into hers. The faint lights of the city that filtered through the window shimmered in chocolate brown eyes that were alert as she gazed deeply into his tormented blue eyes. "I'm with you, Danny," she said softly. "I can't promise you that it won't happen again, any more than you can promise me that it won't happen to you. But I can promise you that I'll be doubly careful from now on, and you should be too."

Danny was reassured by the glimmer he saw in Lindsay's eyes as she said, "I mean it, cowboy. You're stuck with me now."

Danny let out a choked laugh as he drew her closer and kissed her gently, "Don't think I'd have it any other way, Montana."

They fell asleep like that, cuddled against each other and their fingers intertwined.

* * *

The next morning, Danny woke up to find Lindsay still sleeping peacefully, her head tucked securely in the crook of his neck and shoulder. He let out a silent prayer of thanks. Despite what had happened the previous night, he still couldn't completely get over the fear of losing her and he figured it may be a while until he would be back to normal.

Trying not to wake her up, Danny gently pulled the covers back and lifted Lindsay's shirt. He looked at the bandage on her side and noted with relief that her wound wasn't bleeding. He tucked the covers tight around her once more.

Lindsay felt around sleepily and found Danny's side of the bed empty. Her eyes opened slowly and she found him sitting on the edge of the bed, smiling down at her. "Morning, Montana," he said in that sleep-roughened voice she loved.

"Morning, cowboy," she replied, yawning. "What time is it?"

"It's seven AM. Go back to sleep," Danny ordered, softening his words with a tender caress down her cheek.

Lindsay shook her head and tried to get up. "No, I'm fine. I've rested enough."

Danny said patiently, "Montana, just in case you've forgotten, Mac told me that you're taking the next few days off."

Lindsay sighed deeply. "What am I going to do here by myself all day? I'm going to go nuts," she complained, pouting sulkily.

She looked so adorable that Danny couldn't help but bend down to take a gentle nip of her bottom lip. "What you're going to do," he answered, "is heal and rest."

Lindsay sighed dreamily, giving herself up to the pleasure of having Danny nibble on her. "Fine," she said grouchily, pouting again, deliberately tempting Danny to give her a kiss.

Danny didn't disappoint Lindsay and he stopped nibbling and got down to the serious business of kissing his Montana.

As they pulled away, Lindsay smiled at him and said, "Okay. I'll just wait for you to come home."

Danny grinned in satisfaction at having gotten Lindsay to do what he wanted. "Okay, now I really have to go and get ready for work."

Lindsay reluctantly pulled her arms from around his neck and watched as he walked out of the bedroom. Then she frowned. _Wait a minute. Where's he going?_

Her question was answered when the aroma of freshly brewed coffee floated into the bedroom, plus the familiar hiss of the frying pan.

A few minutes later, Danny re-entered the bedroom, carrying a tray. He set the tray down on the bed and sat back down. "Dig in, Montana."

Lindsay's stomach rumbled as she took in the plate Danny set before her. He made scrambled eggs and toast, with several strips of bacon. He'd also prepared her coffee just the way she liked it. She made a low sound of appreciation as the warm coffee slid down her throat.

She grinned at Danny, "If I didn't love you already, I would love you by now."

Danny laughed and said, "I aim to please. Now eat before your eggs get cold."

* * *

When Danny walked into the lab, he was immediately accosted by various people who wanted to know how Lindsay was doing. In the year and a half that she had been at the lab, she had quickly gained a reputation for being cheerful and hardworking, something that had been greatly appreciated. Now, every one in the crime lab expressed their concern when they found out that she had been injured.

As Danny walked into the locker room, Hawkes was there, stuffing his bag into his locker. "Hey Danny," he greeted. "How's Lindsay doing?"

Danny rolled his eyes, "I swear Hawkes, that woman will drive me nuts. It hasn't even been a full day since she got stitched up and she's already itching to go back to work."

Hawkes chuckled, "That's the Lindsay Monroe we know and love, never letting anything stop her…" He trailed off as he caught the indignant glare that Danny shot him. "Except Danny Messer," he finished.

Danny grinned at his friend. "Anyway, I was thinking of inviting the team over to our place, just to keep her company. I bet she'd like to see you guys. We can order pizza or something and just hang out at home."

Hawkes nodded in agreement. "I'll tell Cassie when I see her," he promised. "Don't worry, we'll be there."

Danny answered, "Cool." He slammed his locker door shut and waved good-bye to Hawkes. "See you later, man," he called out as he walked briskly out of the locker room.

Hawkes smiled and turned back to his locker. To his surprise, two small hands snaked around his back and a sultry voice whispered in his ear, "What's up, Doc?"

Hawkes laughed and twisted around to drape his arm around Cassie and pull her close for a kiss. "Mm. Hey Cass."

Cassie grinned and answered, "I just came by to tell you that Stella's asking if we want to go visit Lindsay later. I already said yes."

Hawkes laughed and countered, "That's funny, cause I was just talking to Danny and he's asking if we want to come over to their place later to keep Lindsay company."

Cassie laughed along with him and remarked, "I guess it's true that great minds do think alike."

Hawkes slammed his locker shut and slung his arm around Cassie's shoulders. "Come on, O Great Mind. I'll walk you back to your lab."

* * *

This is it for tonight. :D Just another chapter for all of us to enjoy. :D Stay tuned for the latest updates. :D Next chapter will have the team at Danny and Lindsay's. :D

Please don't forget to review! Consider it your Christmas gift to me. :D


	46. The One With Detective Overprotective

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

After Danny left for work, Lindsay tried to fall back asleep, hoping that she could sleep the day away and wake up just in time for Danny to get home.

No such luck.

She managed to fall back asleep for an hour, until her body demanded that she wake up. She suppressed a groan as she rolled over and gingerly checked her bandage. _It's not bleeding. That's good._

She sighed. Being a natural early riser, she couldn't fall back asleep anymore if her life depended on it. She resigned herself to the fact that she would have to keep herself occupied until Danny came home.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, carefully making her way to the bathroom. To her immense relief, the surgeon who stitched her wounds had thoughtfully covered the bandage with waterproof tape, which would allow her to take a shower.

She stripped off her clothes and stepped into the tub, pulling the shower curtain shut behind her. She gave a luxurious sigh as the warm water sluiced over her body. She stood there for a moment, letting the water wash away the residual aches and pains of getting stabbed.

As she rubbed shampoo in her hair, she contemplated about what to do for the rest of the day. She considered her options. _Watch TV, read, sleep, eat, or clean up. Wonderful._

She turned the water off and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around her body. She grabbed a pair of clean sweats and one of Danny's shirts and crawled back into bed, reaching out to grab his pillow. She buried her face in it and inhaled deeply. It still smelled like him. She looked at the clock and almost groaned in frustration. It was only 10:30. She still had seven and a half hours until Danny would get home.

Lindsay let out another resigned sigh and reached into the nightstand on her side of the bed and pulled out a paperback novel she had stashed there. As always, reading worked as a distraction and she was soon lost in Dan Brown's _Angels and Demons_.

Halfway through the story, her stomach started rumbling and she got up from the bed to make herself a sandwich. With her nose still buried in the book, Lindsay grabbed her celphone and padded to the kitchen, where she placed the book face down on the counter, open to the page where she had left off and rummaged in the refrigerator for the fixings to make a sandwich.

She made a grilled ham and egg sandwich, liberally laced with her favorite honey mustard. She set the plate down on the counter and turned to grab her book once more when the house phone rang.

Lindsay ignored it and let the machine pick up. _Hi, you've reached Danny and Lindsay's place. Leave your name and number and we'll call you back if we have time. Beep._ Then, Danny's voice came through.

"_Montana? The machine better be picking up cause you're asleep cause if you went out, I swear to God…"_

Lindsay picked up the phone just as Danny was about to threaten to tie her up. "Or you'll what, Messer?"

Danny's sigh of relief was audible through the line and he said, "How are you feeling, Montana?"

Lindsay answered, "Better now. I couldn't fall back asleep so I started reading."

Danny asked, "Whatcha reading?"

"_Angels and Demons._"

"Yeah, I liked that one. Does your wound still hurt?"

"It twinges when I move too quickly," Lindsay replied, taking a seat on the couch and cradling the phone between her ear and her shoulder. "How's work?"

"Pretty slow for today," Danny said. "Stella and Hawkes are looking into a case at a club in Manhattan, but from what I hear, it looks like a straight up OD. I'm just finishing up on paperwork."

Lindsay was glad that there were no new cases. It meant that Danny would get home early.

Danny continued, "How about you? How's your day going so far?"

Lindsay started complaining. "I'm bored, Danny. I'm bored out of my skull. When I finish this book, I have nothing left to do."

Danny chuckled and reminded her, "Linds, you have to take it easy." He changed tactics when he heard her grind her teeth in frustration. "Look, it's only for a few days and the faster you heal, the sooner you can get back to work, right?"

Lindsay said grudgingly, "Fine."

Danny had to bite back a smile at the petulant tone in her voice. He knew better than anybody how much Lindsay hated to be cooped up at home by herself doing nothing. Now if he were at home with her, that's a whole different story.

He had to rein in his thoughts before they completely distracted him. This was not the time to think about getting locked in with Lindsay at their apartment doing "nothing" for the entire day. He turned his thoughts back to the conversation.

"Anyways, I called to see if you made yourself lunch," Danny continued.

Lindsay was interrupted from answering by a knock on the door. "Hold on, Danny, someone's knocking."

She took the wireless phone with her as she went to the door, checking the peephole before she opened it.

Through the hole, she saw Danny standing outside their door, a grin on his face, a big take-out bag in his hand.

She quickly threw the door open with a wide smile. "Hey, I think I know you," she teased, pressing a button that disconnected the call.

Danny laughed and clipped his phone back to his waist and stepped forward to wrap his arms around her.

Lindsay immediately tilted her head back to give him a long kiss. "Mm. Just what I needed," Lindsay murmured in satisfaction.

Danny felt a rush of pleasure at the warm tone in her voice. Up until now, he still couldn't believe that he and Lindsay were finally together.

He kept his arm around her as he set the back of Chinese take-out on their kitchen counter, where he saw a sandwich on a plate and the novel she had been reading.

"I think I'll just take this sandwich back to the lab with me later," he said as he pushed Lindsay down gently on one of the bar stools. He started taking out containers from the back and spreading them out on the counter.

She noted hungrily that Danny had ordered practically all her favorites. He pushed a container of roast pork rice and shrimp dumplings in front of her, which she dug into eagerly. He walked over to a cupboard and pulled out a deep bowl, into which he emptied a bag of still hot corn and egg drop soup.

After making sure that Lindsay was eating, Danny started in on his own lunch. Once again, Mac had given him permission to go home for lunch and check on Lindsay. As they ate, he told her about his morning at the lab and about the people who asked about her.

When they finished, Danny ignored Lindsay's protests and told her to stay at the counter while he cleaned up. She relented and contented herself with watching him move around their kitchen with ease.

After he cleaned up the remains of their lunch, Danny walked back to the counter to stand between Lindsay's legs. He gave her a hug and asked, "Feel better?"

Lindsay grinned at him and snuggled into his embrace, "Much. Thanks for coming home to have lunch with me. Tell Mac I said thanks, too."

He grinned back and said, "No problem, Montana." He leaned forward to give her a long, thorough kiss, which had them both breathing heavily when they pulled away from each other.

Danny rested his forehead against hers, trying to regain his breath. He reluctantly disengaged himself from Lindsay's arms and checked his watch.

"I better get going, Montana," he said, not really willing to leave the apartment, but knowing that he had to. "I'll be home as early as I can, okay? Try to rest up and not do too much. Stay in bed."

Lindsay nodded, and kissed him again. "No problem, Dr. Messer."

Danny grinned at her teasing and said, "We'll play doctor when you're ready."

Lindsay had to laugh at the devilish expression on his face and she replied, "I'll hold you to that, Messer."

Hand in hand, they walked to the door, where Danny shrugged on his coat and left last minute instructions for Lindsay. "Try to stay in bed and read, okay? Call me if you want me to pick up another book for you to read tomorrow, just in case you finish this one. Don't do anything too heavy okay? You might pull your stitched open by accident. Try and go back to sleep or watch TV if you get bored…"

Lindsay cut him off with a laugh, "Alright, alright. I get it, Detective Overprotective. Don't worry. I'll be fine," she assured him with a kiss as she opened the front door.

Danny laughed and called out as she shut the door in his face, "I'll be home early, Montana. I love you." Still chuckling, he turned to make his way down the hall to the elevators.

As he was leaving their building, Danny's phone beeped. _ Message from Montana. Read now?_

Danny opened the message and felt a smile break out across his face. _Stay safe, Danny. I love you._

Danny typed a quick reply and hit send as he started walking to the lab. _I love you, Lindsay. Get some rest. I'll see you later when I get home._

* * *

That's it for this chapter. I'll try to work on another one before the end of the day, with the rest of the team at Danny and Lindsay's. Merry Christmas to all:D

Please don't forget to review:D Thanks again to those who took the time to review:D


	47. The One Where Lindsay Will Get A Bonus

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

By six o'clock, the team had gathered in the lobby of the lab to go to Danny and Lindsay's. Danny did a quick scan. Hawkes and Cassie were there already, as well as Adam and Marty. Sid couldn't make it since he was finishing a report on a body that had just come in. Stella was there, but Mac was nowhere to be found.

Danny said, "Okay, so everyone's here except Mac. Is he coming?" For some reason, he directed his question to Stella.

Stella let out an exasperated sigh and answered, "Last time I checked he was." Releasing another sigh, she said, "You guys go on ahead. I'll drag Mac out of his office and we'll catch up, okay?"

Danny and the others nodded. As they turned to leave, Cassie asked, "Wait, what about Jordan and Flack?"

Stella heard Danny answer just as she turned back towards the elevators. "They'll meet us there."

Stella stabbed her finger at the button impatiently as she waited for the elevator car to arrive. It was a quick trip back to Mac's office and she barged in without knocking.

She found Mac seated at his desk, buried in a pile of paperwork.

"Mac Taylor," Stella started in a threatening voice.

Mac looked up quickly at the tone in Stella's voice. "What's up, Stel?"

Stella glowered at him, "What are you doing?"

Sending Stella a puzzled look, Mac gestured to the papers on his desk. "Paperwork."

Stella crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at him. "Mac, it's six o'clock. Don't tell me you forgot."

Mac frowned and tried to remember what it was that he forgot. "I didn't forget." He rapidly tried to think of what he was supposed to remember.

Stella looked at him with a knowing glare. He barely resisted the impulse to squirm under her bright green gaze. After a moment, she sighed and said, "We were supposed to visit Lindsay tonight, remember?"

Mac's face cleared. "Yeah, I remember. I was just finishing some paperwork." He hurriedly stacked the papers together and grabbed his suit jacket.

Stella smirked at him and said, "You forgot, Mac. Admit it."

Mac raised an eyebrow at her. "You know I never forget about anything, Stel." Inside, he was thinking, _I'll be damned if I let her know that I forgot._

Stella just laughed at him and stood in the doorway while she waited for him to grab the rest of his stuff.

Just then, Mac noticed that Stella stood under the mistletoe that someone had hung on his doorway as a joke. He sent a silent prayer of thanks to the heavens and walked over to the door, smiling slightly.

Stella caught the brief smile on Mac's face and wondered what caused it.

She was surprised when Mac stopped in front of her. He stood closer to her than he normally did and she found herself gazing into his eyes.

She was close enough for him to smell the subtle scent of her perfume. He could see the small throb in the base of her neck where her pulse beat. Her wide green eyes met his unblinkingly and he drowned in their depths.

"Mac," Stella said questioningly, her voice dropping unconsciously to a husky whisper.

Mac merely looked upwards. Stella followed his wry gaze and saw a sprig of mistletoe hanging above them.

"Oh," she said, strangely at a loss for words.

Mac just smiled at her uncharacteristic wordlessness and placed his hands gently on her arms, drawing her even closer.

"We have to do it, Stel," he said teasingly. "It's tradition."

Stella saw Mac's face come closer to her and her eyes drifted shut of their own volition. His lips settled on hers, gently coaxing her mouth to open for him.

The instant their tongues met, the kiss deepened and spiraled out of their control. His arms slid around her waist and settled on her hips, pulling her closer to his body. She buried her hands in his short hair, further intensifying the kiss.

Stella wasn't sure how this happened, but right now rational thought was the last thing on her mind. All she knew was that she was finally kissing Mac Taylor, and he was running his hands up and down her back and over her hips as though he was trying to absorb her into his body.

All the pent up longing between them was expressed in that kiss. Pretty soon, they had to draw apart, both of them gasping for air.

As he took deep breaths, Mac cradled Stella's head against his chest. She could feel his racing heartbeat and they both waited for long moments before they were coherent.

Mac asked in a dry voice, "Who put that mistletoe there?"

Stella answered shakily, "Lindsay, I think."

Mac said, "Remind me to give her a bonus."

Stella managed to laugh despite the thundering in her chest. After a while, she pulled back and looked at Mac, her eyes full of unspoken questions.

Mac sighed and said, "I don't know where we're supposed to go with this, Stella. All I know is that I'm happy when I spend time with you."

Stella shrugged gently at him. "Then let's just spend more time together, okay?"

Mac looked at her, and for the first time, she saw a look of uncertainty on his face. "Let's take it slow and see where it goes, okay?" Stella said, running her hand soothingly over the back of his neck.

Mac nodded and a slight smile tugged on his lips. "Alright," he replied, letting go of her waist to offer his arm. "Let's go, Detective Bonasera. I believe we're expected at the Monroe-Messer residence."

Stella laughed softly at what he said. "You know, I think that it will be the Messer residence soon."

Mac agreed with her. "Yeah, I think so too. You want to start another pool on when Danny will pop the question?"

Stella' laughter rang out as they made their way out of the lab.

* * *

This is for all the MacStella shippers out there. :D I hope you like it. They'll be keeping it a secret from the team. Next chapter will be set at the Monroe-Messer _casa_, so stay tuned. :D

Please review! I miss your reviews:D


	48. The One At Casa MonroeMesser

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

A group of detectives traipsed down the hall to Danny and Lindsay's door. Leading the group, Danny unlocked the door and pushed it open, calling out, "Montana?"

He walked inside, followed by Hawkes, Cassie, Adam and Marty.

"Lindsay," Danny called out again, starting to feel a slight tingle of alarm when she didn't answer. The others filed into the apartment behind Danny, who said distractedly as he wandered into the bedroom to search for Lindsay, "Make yourselves at home."

Hawkes and Cassie immediately plopped down on the couch, while Adam and Marty investigated the contents of Danny and Lindsay's entertainment collection of movies and CDs.

As Danny walked into the bedroom, he heard the flush of the toilet and he was relieved to see Lindsay step out after a few seconds. He walked over to her with a grin and said, "Hey you. I got worried."

Lindsay had to smile at his protectiveness and she opened her arms to give him a hug. "Hey yourself." She tilted her face upwards to receive Danny's lingering kiss and she snuggled into his embrace. "How was work?"

Danny grinned and said, "Boring without you. Did you take advantage of your day off?"

That was all the prompting Lindsay needed to roll her eyes and start whining like a five-year-old. "I _hate_ being stuck at home. I didn't get to do anything all day, except read and when I finished my book there was nothing to do anymore! Can we do something fun tonight? Please, please, please?" she begged, batting her eyes exaggeratedly at him.

Danny had to chuckle at Lindsay's very rare display of childishness. But he understood. He knew she really did hate having nothing to do. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I have a surprise for you that will hopefully make your evening more fun."

He took her hand and guided her out to the living room, where a resounding chorus of "hi's" and "hello's" greeted them. Cassie jumped up from the couch to give Lindsay a hug and ask, "How're you doing, Linds? We missed you at the lab."

Danny noted with satisfaction the way Lindsay's eyes lit up at the sight of their friends. She flashed him a grateful smile and let herself be led by Cassie to the couch.

Danny congratulated himself for coming up with the idea. This way, Lindsay would have a more entertaining evening and she wouldn't be as exhausted as she would have been if he had taken her out. He headed into the kitchen to rummage in the fridge.

Danny returned to the living room with a bunch of beers to find Lindsay sitting in the middle of the group, laughing at a story Marty was telling them about a strange autopsy he had performed that day.

Danny passed around the beers and accepted the thanks he got from Hawkes, Cassie, Marty and Adam. He glared threateningly at Lindsay when she touched one of the bottles and she smiled sheepishly at him. Cassie saw the exchange between the two detectives and burst out laughing.

Danny glared at her, "What are you laughing at?"

Cassie held her hands up defensively, "Nothing, Mother Messer," she quipped, earning a peal of laughter from Lindsay.

Danny let out an injured scowl and he stood up to go to the kitchen. He returned a moment later with a tall glass of orange juice for Lindsay. She accepted the glass with a smile.

Before Danny could sit back down with the others, the doorbell rang. He sighed and placed his beer back on the coffee table and ambled over to the door to find Flack and Jordan waiting outside with three pizza boxes.

He quickly opened the door to let them in. "Thanks for picking up dinner, you guys," he said gratefully, divesting them of the huge boxes.

Jordan smiled at him affectionately and answered, "No worries, Danny. How's Lindsay?"

Danny jerked his head to the living room, his hands fully occupied with the pizza. "She's in there with the others."

Jordan and Flack followed him into the living room. Danny placed the pizza boxes on the coffee table and said, "Courtesy of Flack and Addison." He gratefully fell down on the couch next to Lindsay and put his arm around her. Just as he got into a comfortable position, the doorbell rang again. This time, he couldn't help but let out a groan.

Hawkes let out a laugh at the look on Danny's face. He waved his hand at Danny and said, "Stay there with Lindsay, I'll get it."

Hawkes returned a moment later with Stella and Mac in tow. "Hey guys," Stella greeted. "We got chips and dip."

Jordan took the bag Stella held out and stood up. She extended her hand to Flack, who was slumped casually in an armchair and drawled, "Come on, Detective."

Flack sighed resignedly and took Jordan's hand, letting her drag him over to the kitchen. Once they were there, Jordan grabbed two bowls, a big one and a small one, and set Flack to work emptying the dip in the smaller bowl.

Flack efficiently finished his task and came up behind Jordan as she was opening the bag of chips and transferring them to a bigger bowl. He slid his hands around her waist to pull her back snugly against his front and bent his head down to nuzzle her neck.

"Damn, you smell good," he said, as he breathed in her fragrance.

Jordan closed her eyes for a moment and enjoyed the sensations evoked by Flack's gentle kisses on her neck. After a while, she twisted around to wrap her arms around his neck to give him a long kiss.

"I've been waiting to do that all day," she said with a small grin.

Flack quipped, "Okay, partner. We'll work on a signal. If I grab you, you duck into the supply closet with me and we'll make out."

Jordan laughed at the excited expression on his face and turned again to finish her task. He pushed her hair aside and started to place sensual kisses on the nape of her neck, where he knew she was incredibly sensitive.

Jordan sucked in a breath as her knees threatened to give out beneath her. She squirmed in his embrace, unwittingly rubbing her body against him more and igniting a fire that soon got too hot to ignore.

After a while of mutual teasing, Flack reluctantly pulled away from Jordan and turned her around to face him, quirking his eyebrow invitingly, "Any chance we can ditch them and go home?"

Jordan breathed unsteadily, her face still flushed from the passion that flared between her and her tall, gorgeous hunk of a boyfriend. She considered his question for a moment and suggested, "Let's stay for a while and go home early."

Flack immediately said, "Deal." He grabbed the big bowl and placed the smaller one in Jordan's hands and quickly dragged her back into the living room.

Danny immediately noted the flush on Jordan's face and Flack's determined expression. He drawled, "It took you long enough. What'd you do, make the dip from scratch?"

Flack shot him a glare that promised retribution. He was saved from replying by Lindsay's reply, "Thanks you guys, I really appreciate that you're here to keep us company."

She smiled at Danny again and leaned up to place a kiss on his chin. He smiled back at her and nodded towards the pizza. "Eat up, Montana. You must be starving."

The others quickly grabbed slices of pizza and the rest of the evening passed in laughter and teasing. They had so much fun that even Flack and Jordan forgot their earlier resolution to head home early.

At around 9:30, Danny noticed that Lindsay was trying to smother a yawn behind her hand and she was rapidly leaning heavier against his side on the couch. Her head was pillowed on his shoulder and her eyes were starting to show signs of fatigue.

Mac, ever observant, noticed the same things and said, "Guys, I think we should go and let Lindsay get some rest."

Lindsay started to protest, but Mac cut her off by saying with a kind smile. "You better rest up if you want to be able to go back to work earlier. Danny and I spoke to the doctor earlier and he said that as soon as your stitches are taken out, you can go back to work."

Danny watched lovingly as her face lit up and she turned to him with a happy grin, "Really?"

He nodded and answered, "Mac and I wanted to surprise you with the good news." He hastened to caution her, "But Mac's placing you on modified assignment so you can't do any heavy fieldwork yet."

Lindsay waved that aside, "I don't care, so long as I get to go back to work. I'm going nuts in here."

The rest of the team laughed at her enthusiasm. Stella led the group in their exit and they said their goodbyes to Lindsay and Danny.

After the door closed behind their friends, Lindsay squeezed Danny's waist and whispered, "Thanks, Danny. I had a good time."

Danny grinned at her, "I know. But it's time for you to rest. We're getting your stitches out tomorrow afternoon remember? Mac let me take the afternoon off and he said you can come to work the day after."

Lindsay let out a happy sigh and snuggled deeper into his embrace, tucking her head under his chin and she said, "You are just the best boyfriend ever, Danny Messer. I love you so much."

Danny hugged her tight and answered, "I love you too, Montana. Now let's get you tucked into bed."

As they walked back to the bedroom, Danny grilled Lindsay about her injury. He asked if her side still hurt and if she had to take any painkillers for the day. She shook her head no to both questions and reassured him that the one day of rest did her well.

To ease his mind, Lindsay let Danny tuck her into bed. He pulled to comforter around her and kissed her forehead. "Sweet dreams, Montana."

"Wait," she protested. "Where are you going?"

Danny replied, "I'll be back in a while. I'm just going to dump everything in the dishwasher." He kissed her again. "Sleep tight, sweetie. I love you."

Lindsay nodded sleepily and murmured, "Come back soon, okay?"

Danny smiled at her and said, "I will, Montana."

* * *

Sorry it took so long to update. I had to finish some things for work. :D I hope this was enough fluff for everybody. My next installment might come after the New Year. But don't worry, that's going to be the one where Lindsay and Jordan take Flack and Danny back to Montana for a friend's wedding. :D More MacStella ahead as well. :D Stay tuned and review! I miss your reviews:D 


	49. The One With the Fortune Cookie

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

It was the last day of 2006. Except for Flack and Jordan, all the members of the team were at the Crime Lab. It just so happened that all of them were working cases today.

Danny and Lindsay were working on a dead body found floating on the Hudson. Hawkes and Stella were teamed together on a murder in the Upper East Side.

Scenes were processed and evidence was logged in. For the moment, the CSIs were waiting for trace results to come back and they sat together in the break room for lunch.

Lindsay nicked a dumpling from Danny's plate and popped it into her mouth.

"Hey," Danny protested. "That was mine."

"You can have one of my fortune cookies," Lindsay offered with a grin.

Danny glared at her, but took the cookie anyway. "I wanted that dumpling, Montana," he grumbled, breaking the cookie open. He frowned at the slip of paper inside.

"What does it say?" Lindsay caught his frown and took the fortune from him. She read it aloud. _"The winds of opportunity are blowing your way. Do not hesitate." _She laughed. "Wow. That was specific." She resumed eating her noodles.

Stella changed the subject. "Isn't Cassie having lunch with us, Hawkes?"

Hawkes shook his head. "Don't think so. When I stopped by the Trace Lab, she was still up to her ears in swabs from all the food samples we brought back from that apartment."

Stella winced. "She's going to be one snappy puppy, Hawkes."

Hawkes grimaced. "Tell me about it. It kinda sucks that the work I do dumps a lot of work on her." He shrugged. "She says it's part of the job and it's not my fault, but I still feel kinda guilty sometimes."

Lindsay patted him on the shoulder. "It's okay, Hawkes. Just stop by the Trace Lab and visit her before you get back to work."

Hawkes nodded. "Yeah, I already thought of that. Plus, I bought her lunch," he answered, jerking his head towards a brown bag set aside on the counter.

Danny was taking the last bites of his fried rice. "Hey Montana. I forgot to ask you if the electric bill arrived already."

Lindsay's forehead furrowed as she tried to recall. Her face cleared as she answered, "Yeah, it arrived about two days ago. It's in the cubbyhole where we put the bills."

Danny nodded. "Good. I was thinking we might've forgotten to pay it."

Lindsay waved her chopsticks dismissively. "Don't worry, it isn't due until the 4th of January. We can pay it as soon as the banks open up after the New Year break."

Danny replied, "Alright. We'll take care of it with the phone bill. It's due on the 6th."

All through this, Stella and Hawkes were gaping in amusement. When Danny and Lindsay finished their conversation, they noticed that their friends had fallen silent.

"What?" Danny asked.

Hawkes smothered a laugh. "Nothing. Um." _I'm not going to be the one to point it out._

Lindsay prodded, "What?"

Stella couldn't help herself and she remarked dryly, "You guys sound like an old married couple."

This time, Hawkes did laugh and say, "She said it, not me."

Danny just grinned at them and shrugged nonchalantly. He checked his watch. "Okay, I gotta go. I have to check back with Adam to see if he's done with the samples we collected. Meet you back at the lab?" he said to Lindsay.

She nodded. "I'll be there in a sec. I'll just clean this up," she gestured to the remnants of their lunch.

Danny nodded again, "Alright." He jumped off the stool and gave Lindsay a quick kiss before he strolled out of the break room.

As soon as Danny was out of earshot, Lindsay turned back to Stella and Hawkes. "Okay, you really shouldn't say things like that in front of him."

Stella and Hawkes looked at each other in confusion. "Huh?" Hawkes asked uncertainly.

Lindsay glared at them in exasperation, "That thing about us sounding like an old married couple."

Stella let out a silent "ah". She stifled a grin as she turned back to her friend to gently say, "But you guys _do_ sound like an old married couple, Linds."

Lindsay glowered at them and said, "I know that. We were talking about paying bills."

Stella tread delicately. "Linds, are you getting bored with your relationship with Danny?"

Lindsay looked at her as though she had grown a second head. "No. Why would I be bored? I love being with Danny." She shrugged. "It's just that we've only been together for a while and I just don't want him to get freaked out by you guys saying that we sound like we're married already."

At this point, Hawkes interjected, "Well, Linds, if it's any consolation, Danny didn't look freaked out." He said gently, "In fact, you're the one who looks kinda freaked out."

Stella changed her question. "Do you think you guys are moving too fast?"

Lindsay shook her head adamantly. "No. I think we're going at the right pace. Danny and I have been friends for so long that we don't really need to go through a getting to know you stage anymore and I'm okay with that." She picked feebly at a carton, "Like I said, I just don't want him to get weirded out by people assuming that we're married already. I don't want _him_ thinking that we're moving too fast cause we're not."

Stella shrugged. "Well, if you ask me, I think you and Danny are in a really good place."

Hawkes agreed, "Same here."

Lindsay smiled at them, "So do I. Thanks, guys. And don't worry, I'm not freaked."

She finished clearing up the table and stuffed all the containers in a take-out bag. "I gotta get back to our office."

Stella and Hawkes waved at her. "See you later, Linds. Remember, we're congregating here at midnight to welcome 2007," Stella reminded with a grin.

Lindsay answered, "Will do, Stel. See you later, Hawkes." She stuffed the bag into the trash and left the break room.

As soon as she had left, Hawkes leaned towards Stella and said, "Okay, I think it's time to start a new pool."

Stella nodded her head in agreement. "I was just thinking the same thing. Date of the proposal?"

Hawkes grinned, "You read my mind." He packed away his trash. "I'll tell Cassie and Adam since I'm stopping by the trace lab." He waved at Stella. "See you in the layout room."

Stella waved back and took a sip of her soda. As Hawkes exited the break room, Mac walked in to get a cup of coffee.

Making sure that there were no other people around, Mac walked casually over to where Stella was seated and asked, "You have a good lunch?"

She answered, "Yeah. You?"

Mac shrugged, "Haven't had lunch. I'm not really hungry." He took a seat next to her and set his cup down. Under the table, their knees brushed and a jolt of electricity shot between them.

Mac subtly brushed the back of his hand against hers and asked, "How's the case going?"

Stella tried to keep her breathing steady. She wasn't sure how this was supposed to go, but she let Mac take the lead on this one. "Going good. Hawkes is stopping by trace now to check on our evidence." She quickly changed the subject and flashed him a bright smile. "We have a new bet."

Mac cocked an eyebrow. "I'm intrigued. What's it about this time?"

Stella leaned back in her chair and grinned deviously, "Date of the proposal."

Mac tipped his head to the side doubtfully. "You think it's going to happen soon?"

Stella nodded her head with certainty. "It's getting close, I feel it." She confided, "Danny doesn't get freaked when I bring up the M word."

"M word?" Mac asked in amusement.

"Married," Stella clarified.

Mac considered that and agreed with Stella. Danny was close to proposing. "Alright," he said with a wry smile. "I'm in. I'll let you know what date I pick, but I need to think about it first." He stood up and reached for his mug. "I have to go."

"Alright. Bye, Mac," she answered, looking up at him.

Mac glanced around. There were no people around. He stepped closer to her and brushed a soft kiss over her curly hair and said, "I'll see you later, Stel."

On the way back to the layout room, Hawkes stopped by the lab.

As soon as he walked it, he caught sight of the harried look on his girlfriend's face as she ran several tests using the GCMS.

He quickly walked over to her and slipped an arm around her waist. "Hey Cass," he greeted, brushing a quick kiss on her cheek.

"Hey Sheldon," Cassie said, grabbing a printout.

Hawkes winced inwardly. _Uh-oh. She called me Sheldon. _Hawkes gently took the printout from her and turned her around to face him. "Cassie, sweetie, look at me for a while, will you?"

Cassie looked at him in frustration. "I can't. I have, like, a hundred samples left waiting to be tested," she said, jabbing her finger at the pile that still waited for her."

"I know, sweetie," Hawkes crooned. "Come here for a while, let me give you a hug, you look exhausted." He wrapped his arms around her and she buried her face in his chest as he ran his arms soothingly over her back in an effort to get her to relax.

As she leaned against him, she felt a little bit of the tension easing away. She let out a sigh and snuffled her face against his shirt, breathing in his crisp, clean scent.

After a moment, she pulled away, smiling at him gratefully. "Thanks for stopping by, Doc." Her brown eyes were tired, he noted. "I'm really sorry, Cass," he said sympathetically.

She flashed him a half-hearted smile and answered, "It's okay, Doc. It's part of the job." She brushed a soft kiss against his lips and said, "It's actually better now, cause I get an extra perk here that I didn't get in Boston.

Hawkes asked, "What perk?"

She grinned at him and said, "You." She kissed him again. "This."

Hawkes felt his insides melted at the quiet affection in her voice. He said without thinking, "I love you, Cassie Simmons."

Cassie looked startled for a moment, then her face relaxed. "I love you too, Sheldon Hawkes." She grinned at him and said, "Now get your butt back to work."

He grinned back at her, relieved that she didn't get mad at him for speaking so impulsively. "Don't forget that we have that thing at midnight in the break room okay? Stella asked me to remind you."

Cassie nodded, "Swing by here on the way to the break room." She shot him a sassy grin, "See you later, Doc."

_Looks like it just might be a great year, _Hawkes mused to himself as he left the break room.

* * *

Stay tuned for the midnight kisses:D Let me know how you guys like this one. I'll try to get one last chapter in for 2006, by tomorrow I think, which will feature a short chapter on the New Year's first kisses for the gang. 


	50. The One With the New Year Kisses

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

At fifteen minutes to twelve midnight, work at the lab ceased completely. All of its inhabitants were clustered in the break room. The TV was turned to the yearly countdown that was going on in Times Square. To the team's surprise, Flack and Jordan were there as well.

"Hey!" Lindsay exclaimed, giving Jordan a quick hug. "What are you guys doing here?"

Jordan answered, "Stella called us. We went here as soon as we got off shift. We've been hanging out here for about three hours."

Danny came over and handed Lindsay a can of soda. He slung his arm around her and she looked at the glass quizzically. "Soda?"

Danny grinned, "Yeah, I know. But Mac said that since most of us are still on shift, we have to be fair and lay off the champagne."

Flack laughed and said, "I'm just going to get us some soda." He left Jordan with the others and wandered towards the table with the drinks.

By the time Flack returned, the rest of the team had gathered with Danny, Lindsay and Jordan. He noticed that Cassie was leaning a bit against Hawkes, her normally bright eyes exhausted.

"You look tired, Cassie," Flack said.

Hawkes rubbed her arm sympathetically as she answered, "Yeah, the Doc here had about a bazillion samples for analysis." Hawkes winced at that and she patted his stomach affectionately. "Hey, I told you it's okay, Doc. You know it's not your fault."

Hawkes just grimaced and looked down at Cassie and pulled her tighter against him.

Danny, Flack and Mac just laughed at Hawkes' obvious difficulty with the fact that Cassie was working so hard because of him. "Yeah, that's gotta be tough, man," Flack remarked, raising his plastic cup to Hawkes.

Jordan said suddenly, "Hey, Linds. I almost forgot to ask you. Did you get your invitation to Shelby's wedding?"

Lindsay nodded, taking a sip of her drink. "Yeah, I got mine about two days ago. Apparently, we're bridesmaids."

Jordan laughed, "Yeah, I was surprised also. But we were pretty good friends with her and Steve in college."

Lindsay lowered her voice and tipped her heads towards the two guys, who were arguing about the Knicks chances for a championship trophy. "You think it's okay if we ask them to come with us?"

Jordan shrugged, "I don't really know, but we can ask them together if you want."

Overhearing the tail end of the conversation, Danny interjected, "Ask who what? What's going on, Montana?"

Lindsay answered, "Jordan and I got invitations to our friend's wedding in Montana."

Jordan interjected, "Not only that, we're bridesmaids, so we really have to go."

Flack said casually, "So, you two are going back home to Montana?" He shot a significant glance at Danny.

Lindsay saw the exchange between the two men and laughed. She turned to Danny and slipped her arm around his waist. "We were actually going to ask you two if you wanted to go to Montana with us."

Danny suddenly remembered the fortune cookie from earlier. _The winds of opportunity are blowing your way. Do not hesitate. _Danny grinned at her and said, "Sure. I think that would be great. I'd get to see where you grow up and meet your friends and hopefully, your family."

Lindsay looked up at him, a happy smile on her face, "You wanna meet my family?"

Danny shrugged and said, "Well, you survived the Messers. I think it's about time I meet the Monroes, right?"

Lindsay laughed and leaned against him.

Jordan turned to Flack, "What about you, Don? You okay with coming to Montana with us?"

Flack looked down at his petite girlfriend and smiled, "I'm in. When is this thing anyways?"

Jordan answered, "In a month. We'll probably be gone for about three days. The wedding's on a Sunday afternoon, so I'm guessing we should take the last flight out on Friday and come back on Monday."

Flack nodded, "Sounds good to me."

Just then, Mac came over. Once again, Danny seized the opportunity and asked, "Hey, Mac. Is it okay if me and Lindsay take some vacation days off to go back to Montana?"

Mac asked, "Why? What's up?"

Lindsay answered, "A friend of ours is getting married and Jordan and I are bridesmaids. I figure it would be a nice time for Danny to meet my family."

Mac asked, "When is this?"

Lindsay replied, "At the end of January. We're thinking of taking a Friday afternoon flight and we could come back on Monday if that's alright with you."

Mac nodded, "Well, since you guys are giving notice way ahead, I don't see why it should be a problem. You both have a lot of unused vacation days anyways."

Danny grinned at him. "Thanks, Mac."

Mac replied, "No problem."

Stella bounded over, a bright flush staining her cheeks. "Guys! We're doing the countdown, it's a minute to twelve!"

People were starting to chant, "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one. Happy new year!"

All around the break room, people started hugging each other and shaking hands. People had passed around noisemakers earlier and the happy blast of trumpets and whistles filled the room.

When the clock struck twelve, Danny, Flack and Hawkes each had taken their respective girlfriends into their arms and had given them long, thorough kisses that were still going on.

Adam and Marty quickly took pictures of the three embracing couples and clapped and cheered along with the rest of the crime lab when the pairs pulled apart, all their cheeks flushed and their faces smiling happily.

Unbeknownst to everybody, Stella Bonasera's arm had also been grabbed in the middle of the confusion.

Two minutes after the clock struck twelve, Stella stood in a darkened stairwell, kissing Mac Taylor.

Mac murmured, "Happy new year, Stella."

Stella just grinned at him and pulled his head down for another kiss.

* * *

Happy new year everyone! Let's start the year right and have reviews:D Pretty soon, Danny and Flack will go back to the country with the ladies. :D Stay tuned for that:D 


	51. The One Where Cassie Falls Asleep

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

* * *

A few minutes after midnight, Stella reappeared in the break room, her face slightly flushed. She caught Lindsay and Jordan glancing at her suspiciously and she wisely averted her eyes from her friends' gazes until she could get herself under control.

Because the two women were occupied enough by studying Stella, neither of the pair noticed that Mac had quietly entered the break room several minutes after Stella did. However, he wasn't able to escape Danny and Flack's eagle eyes.

Stella was doubly grateful that Hawkes was currently distracting Cassie in the corner. The two were ensconced on a couch, talking quietly with Cassie curled up on Hawkes' lap. She watched as Hawkes gently pulled Cassie's head down to his shoulder and kissed her temple, running his hands comfortingly up and down her back.

Stella's heart went out to Cassie. Even from across the room, she could see that the poor girl was exhausted. She caught sight of Mac looking at the pair with a raised eyebrows and she swiftly went up to him to do damage control.

She laid her hand on his arm. "Let them be, Mac. Cassie's just tired." Mac looked at her and his face softened imperceptibly.

He replied, "Maybe Hawkes should just take her home so she can get some sleep."

Stella said, "I'll talk to him." She quickly approached Hawkes and Cassie. As she approached, she found Cassie's eyes drooping sleepily and Hawkes looked up at her.

"Hey, Stella," he said quietly. "I think I'm going to take her home. She's pretty beat."

Stella nodded sympathetically, "That's probably a good idea."

Hawkes gently woke Cassie up, "Cassie, sweetie, it's time to go." Cassie stirred sleepily and buried her face deeper into Hawkes' neck. "C'mon, Cass, let's get you home."

Cassie did wake up then and let Hawkes pull her to her feet. They quickly said their goodbyes and soon, they were in a cab and on the way to Cassie's apartment.

As she dozed in the car, Hawkes gazed at her sleeping face. She'd been working for two shifts straight. He'd been unable to convince her to go home. She had been adamant about finishing the samples that had been sent in and tiny lines of exhaustion were etched on her face.

He was relieved when the cab pulled up in front of Cassie's building. He quickly paid the cab driver and took Cassie into his arms. She was so tiny that it was barely an effort on his part.

Before long, they were in front of her door and Hawkes used his key to let them both in. He walked quickly into the bedroom and set his precious burden down on the bed. Cassie protested a little when he set her down and he gently whispered, "It's okay, baby. I'm just going to get you ready for bed." He disengaged himself from her and grabbed a nightshirt from her closet.

Hawkes stayed as detached as he could while he undressed Cassie and put the nightshirt on her. It didn't seem fair to cop a feel from his girlfriend while she was practically dead from exhaustion. But he couldn't help himself from caressing her smooth skin and placing a kiss on the smooth curve of her shoulder before he pulled the shirt over her.

After dressing Cassie, Hawkes stripped down to his boxers and pulled on a thin white shirt from his bag. He slid into bed beside her and she automatically curled into him, burrowing her face in his chest as he pulled her into the warmth of his body.

"Night, Sheldon," she murmured drowsily, letting sleep claim her completely.

"Night, Cassie," he answered, breathing in the scent of her hair as he closed his eyes and fell asleep, their combined body heat keeping them warm that cold night.

The next morning, Hawkes awoke to find Cassie grinning down at him.

When she saw that he was awake, she placed her arms on his chest and propped her chin up. She said in a husky drawl, "Morning, Doc."

Hawkes blinked his eyes. His lips curled into a grin at the relaxed look on her face and he answered, "Good morning to you too. I take it you slept well?"

Cassie nodded her head enthusiastically, "Mm-hmm." She gave him a soft kiss and said, "Thanks for getting me home last night, Doc."

Hawkes' hands found his way under her nightshirt and he started stroking her back, enjoying the feel of her skin. He answered, "My pleasure."

Cassie leaned down to nuzzle his neck, her lips and tongue tracing a moist trail down to his chest and Hawkes found himself waking up in more ways than one.

Cassie was distracted from her sensual exploration when Hawkes moved swiftly to flip her onto her back. He chuckled when she yelped in surprise and she felt the vibrations of his laughter in her body.

"Hey," she protested. "That was unfair. It's my turn!"

Hawkes raised his head and cocked his eyebrow at her. "How is it your turn?"

Cassie grinned saucily at him and she retorted, "Don't tell me you didn't cop a feel last night when you were undressing me."

To his embarrassment, Hawkes felt a flush climb his cheeks and he tried to defend himself. "Hey, for your information, I was being a perfect gentleman…"

He trailed off at the knowing glare Cassie shot him and he conceded. "All right, so I did cop a feel, but sweetie, can you really blame me?" he said, with a pleading smile on his face.

Cassie's insides melted at the way he looked adoringly at her and suddenly all she wanted to do was kiss him senseless. She gave in to the urge and pulled his head down to hers, gently nibbling at his lower lip.

Hawkes groaned low in his chest and said, "Okay, now you're in trouble."

* * *

Here's to 2006 and to the hope that the coming episodes with give us more D/L action.

Don't forget to review:D


	52. The One Where Stella Gets Upset

Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the events that transpire on the show.

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After Stella reentered the break room, she grabbed a cup from the counter and tried to look like she'd been there the entire time. She hoped that people would attribute the flags of color on her cheeks to the excitement of welcoming the new year. She casually glanced around and saw Jordan and Lindsay looking at her suspiciously, and she quickly averted her eyes.

Shortly after she returned, she noticed Mac trying to look casual as he came in. Only she saw the slight confusion under his impassive exterior. Or so she thought.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Danny and Flack had also noticed Mac's reappearance. Almost at the same time, their eyes narrowed in thought and they turned to look at each other with raised brows.

Stella groaned inwardly. _Damn._ No doubt, the two would talk to Lindsay and Jordan about it and in no time, the girls would figure it out. For the first time in her life, Stella cursed the fact that women were too intuitive. She still wasn't sure about what she and Mac were doing and she didn't want the lab to figure it out before they did.

Stella took a deep breath and tried to compose herself. She had to laugh at how frazzled she was. _Get a grip, Bonasera,_ she told herself firmly. _This isn't the first time a guy grabbed you to sneak a kiss._ _Then again, this is the first time that the guy you've been mooning over for the past few years grabbed you to sneak a kiss._

A bubble of hilarious laughter was building up inside her and she tried to suppress it. She looked around to look for the third pair in the group and was greatly relieved to find Hawkes and Cassie distracted in the corner.

She saw Mac looking at the pair with raised brows and she quickly went up to him.

A jolt went through her as she placed her hand gently on his arm. "Let them be, Mac. Cassie's just tired." Mac looked away from Hawkes and Cassie and shifted his gaze to Stella. He felt himself suddenly forgetting what it was he was thinking as he momentarily let himself drown in her intense green eyes.

Despite his best intentions, his face softened imperceptibly. _Only Stella would be able to make me forget what I'm thinking,_ he mused ruefully. He tried to redirect his thoughts to the matter at hand. He brought his gaze back to Hawkes and Cassie and said, "Maybe Hawkes should just take her home so she can get some sleep."

He saw Stella swallow and she said, "I'll talk to him." She quickly dropped her hand from his arm and approached Hawkes and Cassie. As she walked away, Mac felt half-relieved that he now had a chance to bring himself under control and half-longed to pull her back and tell her not to go anywhere.

He watched as Hawkes gently pulled Cassie to the door and waved his goodbye to the two members of his team. To his disappointment, Stella did not return to his side, but instead, she started chatting with two of the lab technicians.

Mac settled in the corner and looked around the lab with an unreadable smile pasted on his face. Every so often, his gaze would return to Stella and he hungrily drank in the way her eyes sparkled with life, the proudly vibrant toss of her head, the generous curving of her mouth as she smiled.

It's been years since Mac has felt like this about a woman. And it only seemed right that he felt like this about Stella Bonasera, the woman who had been his friend and his rock.

As though she felt his eyes on her, Stella looked up and found herself the object of Mac Taylor's steady gaze.

She desperately willed herself not to blush as one of the lab techs asked her, "Stella, are you okay? You look a little flushed."

_So much for not blushing_, Stella thought wryly to herself. She smiled a bit too widely and said, "Yeah, I'm fine." She quickly excused herself from the group and headed to get herself another drink.

She almost went giddy with relief when Mac announced regretfully that the party was over and that everyone who was on shift should get back to work and those who weren't should head home because they were on duty tomorrow.

The on-duty staff quickly filed out of the break room and went back to their work stations. Out of the members of the team, Flack and Jordan were the first to say goodnight, walking out the door with their arms linked.

Pretty soon, Danny and Lindsay followed. Before they left, Lindsay gave Stella a hug and a stern reminder that they were having lunch together the next day. Stella had to fight the urge to bury her head in her hands as a sign of defeat.

She smiled at Lindsay and said sure, but inside, her mind was racing and she wondered what she was going to tell Lindsay when the inevitable question of where she had been around midnight would be asked.

_And that's not even the difficult question,_ Stella thought sardonically.

Marty and Adam left soon after Danny and Lindsay and before Stella knew it only she and Mac were left alone in the break room.

Stella glanced hesitantly at him. His face was still molded in a passive expression. Stella had always prided herself on being the member of the team who knew Mac the best, but at that moment, she couldn't tell what he was thinking if her life depended on it.

For most of her adult life, Stella had always been a very confident woman, even around men. She knew that she was smart and attractive and she had always been able to hold her own around guys. But Mac was different. She knew that with Mac, there would be no dancing around and flirting, no will he or won't he dilemmas. The fire between them had been there for too long and there was no way to ignore it now.

If she was totally honest with herself, Stella would say that this is the first time in her life that she had been unsure. She didn't know how this was supposed to work. Hell, she didn't even know what "this" is.

So instead, she forced an overly bright smile on her face and jerked her thumb at the door. "So, I guess I'll be heading home."

She spun around quickly and started to walk to the door. Before she could take a step however, she heard Mac say, "Stella, wait."

She paused and turned around slowly. She took a deep breath to brace herself before looking at him. "Yes?" she asked expectantly.

She didn't expect him to walk over to her. She was even more surprised when he put his hand under her chin to tip her face up so that she could meet his gaze.

"What's wrong, Stella?" he asked, his eyes darkening in concern.

Stella shook her head and stubbornly insisted, "Nothing. What could be wrong?"

Mac raised one eyebrow skeptically. "Stella, we've been friends for too long and I know you better than that."

Stella sighed in resignation. "Okay, fine. Something is wrong. But I don't know what is, okay?" She glared at him, "Happy?"

Mac couldn't help but laugh at the disgruntled expression on her face. "You wouldn't by chance be worried about being interrogated by Lindsay and Jordan, would you?"

If anything, the scowl on her face deepened and she grumbled, "You know me too well, Taylor."

Mac was still smiling, but he understood that this really was a big thing. "What do you want to do?" he asked mildly.

Stella shrugged. "I don't know. I really don't. My plan was to be evasive."

Mac asked gently, "Why?"

Stella's eyes flashed, "Because! Mac, I don't even know what's going on. I don't think you do, either."

She stormed past him and exited the room.

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I know I promised fluff, but I think it's time for a little conflict. Thanks to a reviewer, I'm going to try and inject a few twists in the story. I don't know what I can come up with, though. The reviewer suggested conflict with the girls' parents in Montana, so, I'll try to see what I can think of on that end. However, an impending proposal will keep the DL at a high fluff level. Any suggestions for conflicts for Hawkes/Cassie and Flack/Jordan will be highly appreciated and acknowledged in the upcoming chapters. :D

Please review:D


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